Echoes of A Fleeting Nightmare
by ABCCJPTT
Summary: Chiyochan loses her memory, so Sakaki helps her get it back! Sakaki and Chiyochan with a bit of Yomi and Tomo too! Kaorin is OOC though, I have to admit that I did make her a bit too evil...
1. Chapter 1: Meeting Up

**[Disclaimer]** I do not own Azumanga Daioh, or any of these characters. Mr. Okabe is mine though, he has one little scene! his dog. The name of the veterinarian's office is mine, Mr. Hiyemoto. Besides those two people, and the plot, I don't own anything.

It takes place about five years after the fourth manga, and everyone is about twenty-two, except for Chiyo-chan, who is around eighteen. The story used to be called Forget Me Not, but I think the title didn't have to do with the main undertheme that was in the story.

Echoes of A Fleeting Nightmare Chapter 1: Meeting Up 

It was another beautiful day as sunlight flowed through all of Japan, the land of the rising sun. It was a day when people should be basking outside in the sun's warm rays of light, or swimming down in the cool ocean's smooth water. It was not a day for people to be holed up inside of a building, which, ironically, was exactly what Sakaki was doing. To be exact, she was inside of the veterinarian's office and that was because she works there.

The inside was like any other normal office, with white walls, and white tiled floors. There were some doctors walking around, escorting pet owners to small rooms with their own little pets. There were three sets of waiting booths, with cushiony teal seats covered in animal hair. The whole place smelled of many animal scents mixed with brand new tools, medical equipment, and pet treats to calm any unruly animals.

"There you go Mr. Okabe, your dog will be okay, but you have to remember to give him this medicine every five hours. If his condition worsens, just come back and we'll run more tests," said Sakaki as she bowed her head to her grateful customer.

The rather tall girl with jet-black hair and a long lab coat behind the counter handed the short man a small pug. He thanked her greatly and he petted his dog softly and whispered in as high a voice he could things that any dog owner usually do, like "Who's a good dog," and, "What a good dog!"

As Mr. Okabe walked out of the office with his cheerful dog, making the door's bell ring signaling his exit, Sakaki glanced at the round black clock hanging crookedly at the corner of the wall.

'Nine-thirty in the morning and already many customers have come and gone…' She thought. She always had customers in the morning, but today she had quite a few sick animals early.

She once again heard the familiar gentle tingle of the bell that was attached to the door and looked up with her most inviting smile.

"Hello, and welcome to the Veterinarian's office. How may I help you?" Sakaki looked around, but she did not see anybody around. "Hello?" She said again, unsure if she was starting to hallucinate.

"I'm down here, don't say that you can't see me!" A small voice projected from somewhere very near, yet it reverberated off the walls, so it sounded like it was from everywhere at once. "It's me, Chiyo-chan."

Sakaki looked down and noticed her little friend. Short in stature, Chiyo was much younger than her, but wise beyond her age. She had gone into high school at the age of ten; practically nobody can achieve that kind of genius. Her hair was up in its two innocent pigtails (that don't really control her mind), tied up with the two bands that Sakaki had given her for her previous birthday. There were puppies on both of them. A small brown purse was around her arm, and it matched with her earth brown top that had yellow lace around the neckline and her dark navy cutoff jeans.

Sakaki smiled and invited her to sit in the meeting office to talk and have a cup of tea. After making two cups of herbal tea, mixing them together, and gently placing it on the deep oak table, she took a seat herself and struck up a conversation.

"This is a surprising visit. Why did you decide to come to see me today? It is not like I do not enjoy this, but I was just asking out of curiosity."

Chiyo looked up from her cup and flashed an adorable grin that caused a faint blush to fall upon Sakaki's face. "I just wanted to come and see how you are doing lately. How is everything? Are the cats still scratching you like always?" Sakaki looked at her, glanced down at her scratched up hands, and then laughed softly.

"Haha… you know me all too well Chiyo-chan. Yes, they have been scratching me, but not as much as they usually have in the past. It's a good change, and I have less scars and bandages over my hands," then she looked at Chiyo, "but seriously, I tend to know when things are up, what is the real reason you came to see me?" This time, it was Chiyo's turn to laugh.

"Hahaha! You also know me too well. I did indeed have a secret motive for coming here. I'm having an old-time get-together at my summer beach house this Saturday! Would you like to come over? Everyone is going to be there, and you can even bring Maya. It just wouldn't be the same without you!" Her eyes grew wide and sparkly as she tried to imitate the innocent puppy face.

Sakaki looked at her and grinned, "You don't have to pull that face on me, I will go, even without the help of your cute little face, though that was some great extra encouragement. I will also bring Maya like you said."

After hearing that, Chiyo sprang up like an overjoyed frog and her face beamed. "Yay! Then it's settled! I promise you, you'll have a very fun time, and you won't regret it! Though I don't know why you would regret it in the first place anyways. Haha, I don't even know why I just said that. Wow, I should calm down." She took some deep breaths, but instantly bounded to the front office.

She waved on her way out, "Bye, I'll see you then!" Sakaki looked at her seemingly endless amount of energy and waved back. "I'll see you too. Take care." With that, Chiyo walked out the door with the pleasant tingle of the door's bell behind her.

As the day went on, all Sakaki could think about was Saturday. ' I can't wait until tomorrow! I have really wanted to see everyone lately and find out what has been going on with them lately. It would be fun to be with Chiyo-chan too…' she thought as she pictured everyone smashing watermelons on the beach and swimming in the clear blue ocean.

The day in the office dragged on, and went by uneventfully with virtually no more customers after the man with the pug.

The only remotely exciting event that happened all day was a frantic woman who came storming in demanding what was wrong with her rather large calico cat. The cat kept emitting noticeably odd sounds and it convulsed every time it happened. The doctors told her to calm down and they would find out what the problem was in no time. After a few minutes of examining the sick-looking cat, they told the lady that she didn't need to worry; the cat was just having the case of the hiccups from eating too quickly.

Sakaki was sitting in the rolling chair at the front desk, staring at a computer screen with information on the best cat toys for Maya when Mr. Hiyemoto, her boss, came walking by carrying his portfolio of papers and a few personal belongings.

"Oh, Sakaki-san, you're still here? It's closing time, so you could go home now."

She whipped her head to look at the crookedly hung clock and sure enough, it was eleven o'clock at night. She turned off the computer, stood up, bowed to Mr. Hiyemoto, and then took her leave into the night. She spotted a shining white car all alone in the parking lot under a blinking street lamp.

Sakaki entered her car and turned the key to start the ignition. The engine hummed to life and all the gears groaned as they began to spin. She drove out of the parking lot and began to head for her small apartment. Even though being a veterinarian's assistant was a great job, it does not exactly pay the largest amount. She wanted to get an advance to a full-fledged veterinarian.

Her car flew by a block of dark houses with only a few lit ones. She turned a corner and began to see the ashen-colored apartment complexes. She kept cruising down the road while thinking about Chiyo-chan.

' Wow, she has already gotten her bachelor's degree, and now she's working on her masters. That's going to take a long time for her. I thought she was thinking of studying abroad in America, but I wonder why she decided to stay?'

She wondered about the many possible reasons for why she would stay here in Japan with her and all of their friends until she came upon her apartment. Getting out of her car, Sakaki locked it and scaled a few flights of stairs in order to reach her apartment. She finally saw the dark gray door with the number '176' painted on the front of it. She fished in her pocket for her keys and heard scratching noises behind the door.

' Maya must be waiting for me.' She thought as she opened up the door. Not surprisingly, Maya was sitting at the entranceway to the room with his head cocked up looking at Sakaki. She walked inside to her rather small, but cozy, apartment.

The small entranceway merged into one large room with an attached open kitchen to the left. The small bathroom was located jus to the left of the door once you stepped inside. There was a small futon mattress out in front of the window, and multiple stuffed animals covered almost every inch of the room, along with Maya's cat fur. There were a few shelves to the right that contained pictures of her friends, Maya, and other stray cats that she managed to sneak a camera towards.

Sakaki took off her shoes and lab coat, and went straight to her futon. She plopped down carelessly, and Maya jumped on her. He purred and snuggled comfortably on her stomach falling almost instantly to sleep. Sakaki stared at Maya and grinned lovingly at her adorable kitty. She relaxed on the soft mattress and she eventually succumbed to her tired body's request to sleep, and her eyes began to close…

Sakaki looked around her bright neighborhood and saw Osaka flying by her with apparently two things on her head that resembled orange pigtails.

_ "Yo Sakaki! You should fly too, it's a great thing and whatnot." Sakaki just looked at her oddly, but then she saw Chiyo-chan come walking by. She looked different, maybe it was just because her hair was missing her usual pigtails, but that was probably all in her imagination._

_"Hi Sakaki, it's nice to see you again. Do you want to come fly with me? It's awesome, everyone is doing it nowadays."_

_ She took Sakaki's hand and they began to mysteriously float upwards. They eventually touched down on a cluster of cottony soft clouds. All Sakaki could see were clouds, endless blue sky, and a beautiful sunset. _

_ "It's so nice up here…" she breathed. Chiyo looked at her and giggled, "Well, I thought you would like it… Hey, look over there!" She pointed to their left, "it's Kagura! Oh, I think she's trying my pigtails out for a spin." Sakaki not only saw Kagura flying with helicopter pigtails, an orange cat was also spotted gliding around in circles above them. Sakaki stared at everything in confusion._

_ The cat landed and looked at her very intently, and after what seemed like an eternity, he began to speak. "Hey, I'm Chiyo-chan's dad, and I don't like the clothes you're wearing," he gestured to Sakaki's lab coat, "… it doesn't seem right." He shoved the cat hat that they used in the Stuffed Animal Coffee Shop activity on her head. He once again sized her up and nodded slowly._

_ "Hmm… yep, that's just about right," he nodded again, "Have a good time, but you should ask me again if it's alright to cut my head in half and make it a hat. Well, toodles!" He waved and then flew away._

_ Sakaki stared at his body fly into the distance in dumb disbelief; then she waved. "Bye Chiyo-chan's dad…"_

"Oh!" Sakaki's eyes sprang open and her head jolted up. 'What kind of a dream was that?' she thought. Maya looked at her with cute little eyes, and purred. She stroked his head and laughed to herself. "Wow, what an odd dream. I haven't dreamt of that cat since… high school."

She looked at the clock and began to get ready to depart to Chiyo's beach house. She slipped on her shoes and opened a plastic container full of tuna and placed it in front of Maya. "Maya, food, come eat before we leave." He came trotting over, sniffed the food, then he purred with acknowledgement before he began digging in.

After Maya had finished, Sakaki picked him up and walked out of her apartment, locking the door behind them. "Come on Maya, it's time to go have fun with everybody."

And with that, they left to her white car and they began to drive.

The bustling streets and crowded sidewalks soon gave way to sandy beaches and remotely scattered houses. Soon, a large house, no, more like a mansion, began to grow in the distance. Soon, they arrived at an extravagant home with white walls and a reddish roof. It had a grand front lawn, with a walk-in maze garden with a wall of flowers at the center.

Sakaki and Maya once again admired how big the whole place was, and they stepped out of the car. Almost at once, Chiyo-chan appeared out of nowhere with Kaorin close behind her. She grabbed her arm and talked excitedly, "Come on Sakaki! Everyone's waiting for you!"

She looked down at Chiyo's eager face and couldn't help but smile.


	2. Chapter 2: A Night to Remember

**Chapter 2: A Night to Remember**

Maya leaped off Sakaki's shoulder and began searching for Mr. Tadakichi. Chiyo-chan grinned at his antics and tugged her arm, urging Sakaki to walk faster.

"Come on! Everyone's waiting. We were going to go smash watermelons, and Kagura was nice enough to bring quite a few huge ones this time!" They ran around to the side of the house, speeding past a tall black gate and an ashen wall, which was the side of her house.

As soon as they got to the other side, it was as if they were transported to another dimension; it looked like a picture of heaven. They walked down a declining slope made of cool cement that soon gave way to fluffy soft sand. It stretched for miles both ways going into a curve at both ends, causing it to look like a pair of outstretched angel wings, and all they could see were creamy white specks with the occasional light tan patch. The sparkling crystal-clear water was lapping playfully against the shoreline and it glistened like a sea of aquamarine gems. The breeze was light as it lifted up the few intermittent sand particles.

Sakaki was awed at the beautiful spectacle, and she smiled as Mr. Tadakichi came walking out with Maya sitting on his back. Mr. Tadakichi is such a docile dog, but that is partly due to the fact that he is becoming so old and tired.

She spotted Tomo in a bright red bathing suit blindfolded, poised and ready on the beach about to smash a watermelon. Yomi was not far behind her, shaking her head muttering something to herself. Kagura was next to Tomo laughing and chanting to smash the watermelon really hard. Osaka was drifting out somewhere in the vast ocean riding a floating inner tube, while picking up sea cucumbers and looking at some odd sea creatures.

Yomi spotted them, and waved for them to come over and join in on the fun. Chiyo-chan looked at Sakaki and nodded, but Kaorin came over quite hastily and grabbed her arm. She started dragging Sakaki over to the others like she was her property and Chiyo just followed them. They finally made it to the group, with Sakaki covered in sand, and watermelon pieces scattered everywhere. Tomo grinned and held out her hand in a fist.

"Hahaha! Hey Kagura, you should have brought more for us to smash! This is great stuff." She kept giggling like a little kid pumped with sugar while hitting the ground as if there were more invisible watermelons to obliterate. Yomi shook her head and said Tomo was being childish again and it then resulted in a, "How's your diet going?" retort.

Kaorin looked at the ground and asked, "So Sakaki… um, how's your job at the veterinarian's office going? Being around animals must be fun for you." Sakaki looked at her and thought about it.

"Oh, it is going alright. I would like to fully handle the animals myself one day, but I guess, for now, it's best for me to just be an assistant." Chiyo-chan looked up at her and said, "At least the cats aren't biting you as much though. I see less bandages on your hands than back in high school."

She chortled, then dashed towards the water and began swimming through the clear water, letting it envelop her senses. Tomo laughed and called after her, "Hey, Chiyo-chan! You should watch out for Osaka! I think she's been hording a bunch of sea cucumbers, and she's ready to throw them at an unsuspecting person! Hahaha."

Kagura laughed and then followed Chiyo into the water, and began splashing around in the shallow part of the ocean. "Come on Miss Sakaki!" said Kaorin hopefully, "let's go into the water too! It's a nice day today, so now's the perfect time to swim!"

Sakaki stared at Chiyo-chan in the water, and then to Kaorin's face, and decided to just stay on the beach and relax for a little bit. Kaorin's face faltered a little bit, but she decided to go swimming anyways without Sakaki.

She sat down on the beach on her back and looked up to the endless clear blue sky. Only a few clouds were floating by at a slow pace. One of them resembled an eggplant… Sakaki blinked her eyes and shook her head, "Eggplant?" she heard a snort behind her.

"Hahaha, what do you mean, eggplant?" Sakaki tilted her head and saw Yomi's face only a few feet away from where she was lying down. She took a few steps and plopped down next to Sakaki. They both basked in the sunlight and stayed in silence for a while. Eventually, a small chortle emitted from both of the girls. They both burst into laughter and held onto their stomachs until their shaking bodies could control their giggling breakout.

Through small occasional chuckles, Sakaki responded, "I was just haha, looking at the sky, and I pmfh, saw a… haha…a cloud that resembled an eggplant, though not in color, but certainly by the odd shape." She pointed to a rounded cloud that came to almost a trailing tip.

Yomi looked to where she was pointing and burst into more laughter. "Hahaha, interesting Sakaki… an eggplant." Sakaki sighed and closed her eyes, letting the smells and sounds of the beach and ocean all around her fill her senses. "This is a wonderful place, I wish I could live here."

Just as she began to unwind, a wave of sand blew over Sakaki's face, causing her to sputter and cough. As she was clearing the suddenly not-so-feathery sand out of her eyes, she heard Tomo's frantic voice.

"Sakaki Sakaki Sakaki!!! Chiyo-chan got caught in a riptide, and it's forcing her into a current that's carrying her out too far! You have to go get her! I tried…" said Tomo with a sheepish grin, "…but I can't really swim that well. You're the most athletic out of all of us! Go help her, please!"

She sprang up and scanned the shimmering water and easily spotted where the trouble was. Her little friend was caught far out in the ocean, struggling just to stay above the water.

Sakaki sprinted as quickly as she could and dove straight into the cool liquid with ease. She swam hastily towards the growing swirl that she could make out underwater coming increasingly closer by the second. The water started to get more and more vicious as it lashed at her eyes.

Struggling to make out Chiyo's struggling form, Sakaki arrived at the riptide and tried to grab hold of her small body. After swimming through with the current of the rotation, she finally caught up to Chiyo-chan's riptide-tossed body and grasped her arm tightly. She dragged her to the surface with as much effort as she could and tried to swim out of the strong water force.

Forcing her eyes to stay open despite all of the stinging water and pushing her body to stay vigorous made the muscles in her body fatigued quickly. 'Chiyo-chan, we can't die right now!' She thought.

In a final act of desperation, she kicked and swam as intensely as she could and they finally popped out of the current like a cork from a wine bottle. After feeling the force of the water calm down, her aching muscles finally caught up to her and her eyes closed as the two drifted towards the incoming lifeboat.

_Sakaki was surrounded by darkness, floating around in a place completely devoid of any light. She looked around, wondering where everyone was. She felt cold and alone, with nobody there to help her. Tears stung her eyes, 'Where is everyone?' she thought._

_ Suddenly, a small light appeared in the distance. It grew in intensity until it blinded Sakaki so much that she had to shield her eyes. 'What is that?' The light was warm and inviting. It felt safe and it flooded her body with need. She dropped her hand despite the glowing entity, and she reached out for it. It was far beyond her reach, and then it began to fade away and disappear._

_ "No! Don't leave me, come back…"She slumped to the floor in defeat, desperately wanting the luminescent light to come back. Suddenly, she heard a tapping sound coming closer to her. Despite her curiosity, Sakaki didn't raise her head, and instead only listened to the sound more intently._

_ After a minute, the sound turned into footsteps; a person's footsteps. A hand rested on her head and a soft voice hypnotized Sakaki's mind. Her head drifted upwards until she was looking into Chiyo-chan's eyes. She smiled at her._

_ "It's nice to see you again, but you need to wake up. Sakaki…Sakaki…"_

"Sakaki!" Her eyes slowly opened to reveal all of her friends crowded around her. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. 'A… a dream?'

"Oh Sakaki, you're awake! We were all so worried for you!" squealed Kaorin as she pulled her into a vice-like hug. Sakaki didn't know what was going on, until she realized that she was still at the beach. Then, she remembered the whole riptide incident, and she suddenly felt really exhausted; it wasn't like her to get tired during swimming.

As if on cue, Chiyo-chan appeared next to her and pried her from Kaorin's crushing hug. "How are you feeling? You fainted from sudden exertion and Yomi drove over in a motorboat to pick us up. You nearly choked on all the water that got into your lungs, but I gave you CPR, so you should be just fine, with a little rest of course."

Kaorin frowned and turned her head as a faint blush crept up on Sakaki's face, "You… did what?" Chiyo-chan giggled, "CPR. I was the only one here certified and able to perform it. Your torso and ribcage should feel very sore though, because you have to press hard and in the right place in order for the pressure part to work."

Sakaki was only half listening. She brought her hand to up and touched her lips. 'She did CPR on me?' was all she could think about. Her thoughts were cut short as Maya pounced on her and licked her face. He had a worried look in his face and he meowed lightly, showing his concern. She stroked his head.

"I'm alright Maya, you need not worry about anything. You just have to thank little Chiyo-chan here." She pointed towards Chiyo and Maya purred. He walked over and began weaving in between her legs and making almost a buzzing purr sound.

Yomi offered her hand and Sakaki took it. Lifting her up to stand on her two feet, the group strolled to the house to have some fun. As soon as they walked inside, they heard two loud voices bickering back and forth, then a loud 'SMACK' sound, and then, strangely enough, laughter. Chiyo-chan looked at them in puzzlement.

Their two teachers were sitting at a table in the main dining room with food strewn haphazardly in front of one of them.

"Yukari-sensei and Kurosawa-sensei, when did you two arrive here? I didn't know you could make it!" She noticed that Yukari had a very ruby red mark in the shape of a handprint on her cheek, and Kurosawa was sitting across from her grinning.

"Eh, I was persuaded by your 'great' teacher here, and when we arrived, she went straight inside your house and started eating some food. I had to… gently tell her not to."

Yukari stood up. "You call that gentle?" she gestured to her inflamed cheek, "you have as gentle a touch as a wolverine! EVIL! SHEBEAST! WITCH!"

With that, the two teachers continued to banter insults back and forth while the kids just watched and laughed at their silly actions. Sakaki was instead looked around the enormous house. She admired Chiyo's elaborate estate, especially since it greatly overshadowed her miniscule apartment room.

The walls were a soft off-white that nicely accented the hand-made embroidered, mahogany drapes. Lofty windows with auburn wood frames were evenly spaced out between each other, letting pools of light gather in intervals around the nicely polished wood floor. The wood floor merged into a plush white carpet that eventually led to a spiraling double staircase going up to the second, third, and even a loft floor.

She must have been out of it because when Osaka placed a pair of collected sea cucumbers on her shoulder, she didn't even notice them. It was only when she felt something gooey and pulsing on her shoulder did Sakaki realize that live things resembling pickles were stuck to her.

"AH!" She whipped around in surprise and the live pickles flew off of her shoulders and instead landed on Yomi's head; just like in the past. Yomi shuddered and plucked it off her head and handed it back to Osaka who just stared at her with her blank face.

Everyone laughed and started to talk with one another. Jokes were animated, rumors were spread, by Yukari of course(which ended up in more slaps from Kurosawa), and stories were told as they caught up on old times. As things went on, the sun started to sink into the water in the distant horizon.

"Come on everyone, we can go watch the sunset on the beach!" squealed Chiyo-chan, "it's always so breathtaking at this time of day!" So everyone sauntered down to the beach's feathers, and sat down on the invitingly silky sand. Sakaki took a seat down and was joined with Chiyo's company on her left, and Kaorin on her right.

Chiyo-chan inched closer to Sakaki and heaved a sigh, "It's so nice out. I'm glad that you decided to come with us today, it really means a lot to me. It wouldn't have been the same without you." Sakaki felt a faint blush and looked away in embarrassment, "It was nice coming to see you all again, it was fun to be with everyone, just like old times…"

Kaorin glimpsed at them from the corner of her eye, like a hawk surveying its prey before striking. One might say she had a venomous look in her eyes, but if she did, it went away quickly before anyone could really take notice. She stayed silent, but continued to watch and listen from Sakaki's other side. She noticed that they both continued to gaze into each other's eyes for a long eternity, and that did not settle that well with her.

Hastily, she pointed to the horizon, "Look, the sunset is at its best now!" As planned, everyone turned their heads to watch the colors blend together like one giant collage. It was like looking into a kaleidoscope of colors, mixing together to make a prismatic image. It reflected in everyone's eyes as it slowly sunk down until the bright hot colors transformed into dark cool colors. Yukari stood up and clapped her hands.

"Woohoo! Alright! I brought the bottle rockets, and I'm ready to blow them up! Who's with me?" she looked around at all the blank stares that were given to her, and she ran towards the shoreline with a bag. She flipped the plastic bag upside down and everyone watched in amazement as nearly forty to fifty bottle rockets plummeted out of the bag in bundles.

Everyone gawked at Yukari as she chaotically tossed a match into a pack of ten rockets and she laughed as all of the fuses burst into multi-colored sparks.

"Are we going to die?" whispered Yomi. Tomo laughed feebly and replied, "I hope not. Then again, if she doesn't kill you, then starving yourself for a diet will." Yomi slapped Tomo in the face and continued to watch Yukari light the rockets. All around her, the mini-missiles were exploding in an array of many different colors, causing the lights to swirl all around them.

After all of her rockets were lit and demolished, Yukari began trudging back to the house, and Chiyo-chan stood up.

"Okay everyone, it's time to go inside and have…Late Night Fun!" With that, everyone hopped up and scurried to the house, eager to see what activities and madness would ensue that night. Apparently, Kurosawa was not very sober, due to Yukari urging her to drink more and more, and so she revealed some things about boyfriends to everybody, just like she had done back in high school.

She eventually passed out, but not without leaving everyone embarrassed and a very dark crimson shade. They decided to retire to their rollout beds due to that little incident, but as soon as they were snug under the blankets, Tomo had to pull her somersault act and roll over everybody, which ultimately resulted in a fierce pillow fight. Kagura picked up a fairly large pillow, and chucked it at Chiyo-chan's head from behind.

Her body fell limp and hit the floor with a silent thump. Sakaki noticed and knelt down beside her while everyone continued to smack each other senseless. She shook Chiyo's body gently.

"Hey…hey…hey! Are you okay?" Chiyo flipped over on her back with a lined pattern on her face; the result of falling face first on a wooden floor. She grinned back at Sakaki and giggled.

"It's always like Kagura to throw something at my head," then she looked her in the eyes, "and it's always like you to come to me first when it happens." Then she jolted up and ran back to hit Kagura with a pillow.

Sakaki just sat there, wondering if what she just said was still part of her innocence talking; or something more. 'What did she mean by saying that? Was she trying to get something across to me? Did it have a deeper meaning to it?' she pondered.

Shaking her head at her pathetic little analysis of the situation and comment, she stood back up and threw a pillow at Osaka's already dazed head.

Kaorin was sitting across the room with her pillow, watching the whole incident. She grimaced in unseen pain, and began thinking of something. Her thoughts were interrupted when Yukari and Kurosawa both threw pillows in a joint attack from both sides at her head.

After the pillow fighting subsided, everyone went back to their beds for some sleep. With Yukari's loud snoring, it's a wonder how everyone managed to fall into a deep slumber, well, everyone except for Sakaki. She lay awake, unable to restrain the racing thoughts shooting through her head.

She was mainly confused about how Chiyo-chan had been acting lately around her. Perplexing as it was, and as much as she wished to dismiss it, she just couldn't shake it from her thoughts. Her eyes, those also made Sakaki wonder about a few things. What was it that she saw in those glowing innocent orbs? She saw something there that was also present in Kaorin's eyes, yet she could not place a finger on it.

Something there that isn't present in anyone else's. Sakaki shook her head at yet another failed self-analysis and she slowly rose up out of her bed, trying not to disturb anyone else from their peaceful dreams.

She walked out to the balcony and took a seat on one of the available chairs outside. She gazed at the ocean. It looked docile, but almost unnaturally so. It was like the calm before a storm. Dark black with the occasional blue and purple streaks made up the sky with a few dark navy clouds drifting by.

She looked up at the stars and admired their splendor. So high up and out of reach, so far away and free in the sky, like an untamable spirit; she sighed. As strong and magnificent as they may be, they always burn out eventually, whether it's in a grand way, like a supernova, or a small disintegration like a microscopic star.

A light shot across the sky in a second, and a voice was heard behind Sakaki, causing her to get surprised.

"It's a shooting star," said Chiyo-chan, "you should make a wish." Sakaki looked behind her and decided to try and make one, even though they usually never come true.

'I wish… that I things would be clear to me and everything would just come to light.'

As if on cue, she looked up and stared in awe at the sky. "Chiyo-chan, is that normal? Does this happen often?" Chiyo was in just as much shock as she was.

"That… is an amazing miracle…"

The clouds had gathered in one place, but they were spread around the moon in a perfect circle.

The two girls just stared at the sky, and then to each other. Sakaki was speechless, so Chiyo-chan said something for both of them, "This will be something we're going to remember for a long time… a long, long time."

With that, they both walked back inside to get some rest.

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Sunlight crept through the closed drapes, signaling the rising of the sun. As soon as it inched its way over Tomo's face, her eyes popped open, and her torso darted upwards, "What's the story, morning glory?!"

Everyone moaned and groaned as Tomo began hopping on everyone's sleeping bags and blankets, and they tossed and turned to try and ignore her comments. Yomi suddenly sprang up and tackled her to the ground and shoved her in a vacant sleeping bag.

Kagura started clapping, and everyone laughed as Tomo continued to make remarks, though they were now a bit more muffled. Yomi sat on the sleeping bag, causing her to shift and squirm.

"Gerroff me you oversized elephant!" she was suddenly tossed off, and Tomo somehow managed to unzip the bag. Huffing and wheezing, she somehow still had the air to attack Yomi.

After the two had stopped their humorous bickering, the cleaning of all the blankets, sleeping bags, and messy pillows commenced. As soon as things were clean and tidy, everybody began to leave, one by one. Sakaki was about to depart until Chiyo-chan took hold of her arm.

"Wait, don't go. Um… if it's okay with you, would you like to go to Magical Land with me? It's that great amusement park that we went to in high school. I thought that… it might be fun to go again, you know, relive memories?"

Sakaki looked at her momentarily, and then nodded. "That sounds like fun." Then she stroked Maya's fur for a while, and then began driving Chiyo to the place. She was trying to maintain concentration on the road ahead of her, but it was somehow beginning to get harder and harder to think straight. For some reason, she felt like Chiyo was studying her, watching her every move, but Sakaki didn't really mind it.

They finally arrived at the theme park. Walking towards the opening gate, the two girls looked at all of the new sites and attractions that have been built since they last visited it. They had apparently built a dome over the whole park, making the whole place indoors. Sakaki snuck a glance at Chiyo's face and was filled with a protective feeling just watching her smile widely.

They strolled up to the ticket booth and purchased their tickets. A man dressed in a large white kitty suit greeted them as soon as they walked through the entrance. "Welcome to Magical Land! May all your dreams come true!" They took in their surroundings and were engrossed with all the beautiful scenery.

There was a kid's section to their left, filled with a flying cat ride and many stuffed animals of all sorts. Little children ran all around within that area, with some crying, some laughing nonstop, and some just being what they were; carefree kids.

Food stores were concentrated in the middle of the park, with some being tall, and some being short. The bazaar was filled with multiple shops that were painted outlandish colors to attract attention to bring in any business.

Some coasters nearly touched the top of the dome. They were in a range of different rides, including water ones, track ones, and floating ones. Since the whole place was indoors, the ceiling was painted like a planetarium. It spun around slowly, causing it to give off the feeling that you were rotating around a planet. It was all black with some dark blue patches. Stars speckled the whole thing, and to top it off, the moon was in the very middle of the whole spectacle. It truly was a magical place with an enchanting aura about it.

Chiyo-chan pointed to the roller coasters and grabbed Sakaki's hand, "Come on, let's go on those rides first!" She giggled as her tall friend gulped audibly.

After going on numerous roller coasters for most of the day, they finally decided to take a break from all of the excitement by getting something to eat. Sakaki ordered udon while Chiyo ordered soba.

She slurped up some noodles and then spoke after she swallowed them, "Hey Sakaki. I wonder what time it is right now, you know, since the ceiling is closed off and all. This place not only has a mysterious atmosphere, but it also throws your internal clock off too. It feels like nighttime thanks to the painting up there." She pointed to the dome's ceiling.

Sakaki nodded and then looked at her watch, "You say your internal clock is off right? Well, it's not, and it's exactly what time you think it is. Haha," she smiled, "Chiyo-chan, nothing you think is ever off from the right answer; it is nighttime. Don't let the ceiling throw you off."

She chuckled, and then threw away their trash as they started strolling down a different path. Chiyo-chan grasped Sakaki's hand and tugged her forward, "Come on! There's one last place I want to go to before we leave." They weaved their way in between the crowds and strangers. They finally stopped in front of an enormous, glowing, behemoth of a ferris wheel. Her eyes sparkled.

"It's the largest ferris wheel in the country! C'mon, let's go on." She led her best friend to the line. They stepped up to the loading dock and the operating man looked at them and shook his head. He frowned, but then let then opened the hatch to let them on.

Chiyo frowned, "I wonder what that guy's problem is. He seemed grouchy towards us." They sat inside of a translucent sky blue cart with a silky soft interior that had cushiony seats for the passengers to sit on. It had a solid outer shell, but because it was some new translucent material, it allowed them to see around them as if they were sitting inside of one big window.

Chiyo-chan pressed up against the walls and stared at all of the glowing lights down below them. She could see the kid section, with the lit up flying cats, and the roller coaster section with the carts howling through the night on the metal tracks. After gazing at everything, she finally laid back and relaxed.

Sakaki was looking outside and she too pulled back to sit down. Chiyo leaned closer and rested her head on her comfortable and inviting shoulder.

"Isn't it beautiful?" breathed Chiyo-chan. Sakaki was glimpsing at her friend's face, studying her perfect features in the half lit night and replied, "Yeah… it is beautiful."

Suddenly, a loud jarring sound shot through the air, piercing through the silence. They looked around as if danger was near, but when Chiyo tugged on Sakaki's sleeve and pointed upwards, they stared in amazement as they noticed that the ceiling was looking a lot more authentic.

With her mouth agape, Sakaki managed to say something, "I … did not know that the dome opened up at night… did you?" Chiyo-chan shook her head, unable to even utter a single word at the breathtaking sight. The night sky with actual stars shined down upon them like heavenly orbs of iridescence.

Sakaki turned to face her and grinned. "It's so pretty up here. The ferris wheel was a great idea, as always." Chiyo-chan looked up and noticed that she was barely a foot away from her friend's mesmerizing smile, and she felt like she was being pulled closer and closer by some unseen force.

"I…" murmured Chiyo-chan only a few inches away. She could feel the warmth from Sakaki's body due to the proximity, and she leaned in.

_Shoooooo!_ _Krack!_ An explosion of light and sound caused her to jump back out of surprise. A grand firework show started as the staff in the park lit various firecrackers, causing the sky to dance in rhythmic beats as the explosions let loose a rainbow of colors.

Chiyo-chan was blushing fiercely, aware of what was about to happen, but was interrupted by the fireworks. Sakaki too must have been embarrassed because she was turned away and somehow found that staring outside was suddenly very interesting.

Their cart came to the bottom of the lift, and the man who supervised the ferris wheel saw them, and immediately coughed and decided not to even look in their direction. Chiyo-chan grabbed Sakaki's hand nonetheless and they ran all the way outside of the park to her car.

They drove home the whole way in silence, and decided that perhaps it might be best to just think about things instead of say anything. Finally arriving at Chiyo's house, Sakaki parked quickly and escorted her to her door. As soon as she opened the door, Maya jumped out and sprang into Sakaki's waiting arms.

She stroked his head quickly, and sent him into her car to wait for just a little bit. They stood awkwardly at her front door for a while until Chiyo-chan coughed and broke the silence.

"Um… thank you for coming with me to Magical Land, it was very fun, and it was very nice. Uh…" she stammered for a second, and then she tilted her head upwards to look into her tall friend's eyes. Once again, Sakaki saw that sparkle that was present in Kaorin's almost pleading gaze, and she couldn't tell what it was. She felt like she was too ignorant to see what it was.

Chiyo blushed and walked inside hastily. She turned around and smiled showing her adolescence, but at the same time, her maturity and growth.

Sakaki walked back to her car in a daze. She couldn't believe all that had happened, not only just today, but the things in her past that could have possibly lead up to this exact moment in time. She couldn't believe what she was feeling right now. What could it possibly be that she was feeling, and, what she saw in Chiyo-chan's eyes?

"This is truly… a night to remember."


	3. Chapter 3: Love Untold

**Chapter 3: Love Untold**

Sakaki sat there in her futon, staring at the blandly colored ceiling; white can feel really empty and lonely sometimes. The moonlight could not shine through her window and illuminate anything; dark, ominous clouds obscured the sky. She was trying to contemplate the night's events, and was wondering if she could make any sense of it all.

'What is going on with Chiyo-chan? She has been acting very strangely lately, and it's almost painfully noticeable. Yet…'

She closed her eyes and pictured Chiyo's smiling face and the soft touch of her hand as they interlaced fingers. She was always smiling at her, and always insisted on holding hands or locking arms together.

'…Yet I don't understand what it all means, and I am so clueless as to what she's trying to say, or rather show, to me. It feels… different somehow, but in spite of that, it doesn't feel all too bad. In fact, one could say it almost feels good.'

She thought more about her friend's actions and every little thing she does. Analyzing them carefully, and concentrating on the little details and hints, Sakaki still could not place together something very obvious.

Maya jumped on her chest and purred quietly. She stroked his head slowly and sighed.

"It seems like it's so conspicuous that I would have to see it, but I am still in the hazy mist, and I can't seem to see through it. Oh well… I guess that I should just stop trying to figure it out."

She gradually crawled out of bed and sleepily walked over to the cupboards to look for some cat food. She involuntarily shivered and looked at the kitty clock ticking away above her window.

'5am, and yet I am awake. I should be sleeping, and it's very cold out, but I think an early morning walk will do me some good.'

She pulled down a silver can of food and dragged herself over to the can opener. Maya meowed loudly and began to walk around in circles, waiting for his can of tuna food. Sakaki finished opening the cold tin can and set it down in front of Maya and watched him dig in.

She went back to the cupboards in search of some food for herself, and found only a chewy energy bar. She shrugged and thought that it was better than nothing, and then tore off the golden outer wrapper. After finishing it, she sighed with satisfaction and brushed her teeth.

As she was brushing her long black hair, she stared absent-mindedly into the mirror. She heard a car horn go off, and the siren began to blast throughout her neighborhood, the loud noise racking her brain and disrupting her hearing. Chiyo's face suddenly flashed before her eyes and she staggered backwards. Shaking her head, she started gasping.

'Why do I keep thinking of her? This can't be that normal…' she thought. After regaining her balance and taking a few deep breaths, she finished brushing her hair and she rushed to her doorway. Maya was curled up in a ball sleeping next to an empty tuna can, probably dreaming of flying fish.

Sakaki smiled and grabbed her jacket as she silently tip toed outside of her apartment, locking the door after her. She began jogging down the stairs of her complex and then started to pick up the pace on the sidewalk.

Cars flew by at mind-boggling speeds and they were getting real close to one another, causing them to sound their horns to alert the drivers. By now, the sun had started to peek up above the horizon, but the air was still filled with thick clouds and a light breeze.

She glanced up to the top of the brownish brick wall and noticed a grinning black cat, showing rows of razor sharp teeth glinting in the rising sun's rays. 'That must be the biting cat that I came to know so well all throughout high school.' She thought.

Sakaki came across a busy intersection and pressed the button to wait for the sign to turn into the walking green person instead of the red hand. As the cross sign appeared, she took a step into the crosswalk and heard a blaring horn rip through the air. She whipped her head around and went wide-eyed as a speeding car came hurling towards her at high speed.

Pushing off from the ground, Sakaki leaped to the side just in time and landed hard on her side, scraping her clothes. She heard a few seams rip in her clothes, but that was nothing compared to the magnitude of the sound that followed after.

The repercussions of the speeding car was the slamming of another one, causing the first speeding car to spin five times in a 360 degree action, resulting in a devastating collision with the wall opposite to her. The impact sounded like the crushing of a few cans, except intensified a thousand fold.

After getting hit by the speeding car, the other one flipped over and it flew about fifty feet, hitting a random bystander on the way. Both wrecks erupted into flames and the fires howled in an angry rage, eating up any person who dared to go near in an attempt to help the trapped drivers and passengers.

With the slight breeze feeding the two infernos, they spread to a few houses, and mayhem ensued. Sakaki pressed up against the wall dumbstruck by everything that had just happened in the past few seconds.

She felt a thick hot liquid trickle down the side of her head and down the length of her hand, but that didn't matter. The adrenaline that was pumping through her blood system began to wear off, and she began to calm down, bringing her heart rate with it.

A man came running by, shouting at people, "Hey! They need an ambulance! Call an ambulance! Get the firemen down here too!"

Some people were struck by the out-of-control speeding metal deathtraps and they were groaning on the ground, covered in a pool of their own oozing blood. Ambulance and Firemen sirens were heard as they were coming closer and closer to the scene.

Sakaki looked at the policemen who began to show up and she staggered away. She hid down an alley and began to wonder if she was at fault, or if the driver was. 'Pedestrians get the right a way, don't they? I don't think I caused that accident…"

She leaned against the wall and felt a stinging pain. She winced and felt her head and almost forgot that she hit the ground pretty hard. She felt a small cut on the side of her head, with blood slightly trickling down her face. Then she glanced at her hand and noticed a slightly deeper cut, still bleeding and dripping blood down onto the ground.

'Agh, I guess I should try and wrap something around these to stop the bleeding. I really have no need to go to a hospital for something so trivial as these, I mean, I've been attacked by multiple cats before, right?' she laughed despite the situation, and remembered all of the cats that used to bite her as she tried to pet them.

A small scream shook her from her thoughts and she thought the shriek sounded familiar. She ran to the source of the sound, past a few corners, and down a few alleys, and then she saw a person with their back to the wall, faced against a myriad of hissing cats.

"Chiyo-chan?!" she yelled out. The person turned their head and it turned out to be exactly whom she thought it would be. Chiyo screamed for help, and Sakaki dashed in front of her, putting up her arms to protect her.

She stared down the gathering irritated cats and asked, "Hey Chiyo-chan, what exactly did you do to these cats to make them this mad at you?" her younger friend laughed halfheartedly.

"Well, I kind of gave food to one cat, and then more showed up. Once I ran out of treats for them, they kept chasing me and hey! What happened to your face and hands!? You're bleeding profusely!"

Sakaki glanced backwards and grinned, and then winced in pain, "I just dodged death. Almost getting hit by cars is much better than facing down an army of cats. Well, none of that matters now, just stay behind me and you'll be fine."

Chiyo did as she was told and clung to her back in fear, "This is like when those other cats came and attacked, though Maya came and saved us. Their claws do carry bacteria though! I don't want to swell up like a balloon."

Her tall friend smiled through a clenched jaw and shook her head, "Don't worry, you won't get hurt as long as I'm here." She rested her hand on Chiyo's head as she usually would when things looked bad for some reassurance.

Suddenly, the cats began to jump all at once, coming at Sakaki like speeding furry bullets. A scruffy calico cat sunk its teeth into her arm and she let out a yelp of pain. All of the other cats began clawing at Sakaki and biting into her arms and various other body parts.

She was able to shake them off by whipping her body back and forth, causing the momentum to throw all of the cats off, one by one like stuck leeches. Sakaki's glistening red hand somehow found Chiyo's through all of the pandemonium and she started running.

"Come on! We have to get to your house to escape them!" She snuck a peek behind them and saw a moving sea of fuzz trailing not too far behind them, all roaring as loud as they could.

After rushing through alleys and streets, a tall familiar mansion came into view, and they arrived at the gate, breathing heavily. Sakaki looked behind them and saw the cats running at full speed not even fifty feet away. Her eyes widened in fear and she quickly opened the gate to the house's front yard.

Chiyo threw the gate shut and locked it, but Sakaki urged her to sprint quickly to the front door.

"Heh, of all times to have such a commodious front yard, we have to have a huge mob of angry cats chasing us. The door seems so far away…" joked Sakaki.

They went as hastily as they could and reached the double oak doors. They both glanced behind to see if they were in the clear, but the cats scaled the walls and fences like it was nothing. Chiyo let out a squeak and kept fumbling with the keys as she tried to jam them into the door's lock.

Finally, they heard the precious click that they were hoping to hear, and then the two piled into the house and kicked the door closed behind them without a moment to spare. As soon as the door closed shut, they heard multiple _thuds_, which could only be the many cats slamming into the now locked door.

The two friends just lied there on the floor, breathing deeply and trying to relax their racing hearts. Chiyo rested her head on Sakaki's stomach as their breathing began to stabilize again and go back to normal. Sakaki didn't mind at all, and she just rested there, feeling pleasant and happy that they escaped a major cat attack.

Chiyo's head rose up and down on her friend's stomach in a rhythmic beat and she enjoyed the calm silence, and then she felt the touch of a hand on her head. Currents shot up her body like electric impulses as Sakaki began to stroke her head serenely. This moment was heaven to her, but when she felt the trickle of hot liquid slide down her face, she had to shatter the silence.

She leaned up and grasped her hand softly and gasped at the amount of cuts that were covering it. Then she examined the rest of her body and noticed that many parts of her clothes were in shreds. Sakaki was bleeding in multiple spots, and Chiyo grimaced.

"You're hurt all over! Those cats got you badly…" She stood up and helped pick up her bleeding friend. Sakaki fell limp and leaned heavily on Chiyo's shoulder, and she struggled to hold her up. Together, they walked to her room, inch by inch. She gently laid her body down on her bed and went to search for bandages and gauze.

Sakaki's vision blurred and shook as she tried to retain consciousness, but it was hard to keep her eyes open. She felt like weights were tied to her eyelids and they were just pleading for her to close them. Sleep and fatigue almost overtook her, but then the tender cool touch of a wet towel on her head soothed her splitting headache.

She felt Chiyo-chan's hand rest on her own, and she felt at ease. Her face came into view as she began to take off her shirt, or what was left of the shredded thing. Her cheeks flushed red as her friend leaned her up against the wall and began to wrap bandages around her, as if she was wrapping a security veil around her.

Through her hazy vision she could see skillful hands weave in front of her and then go behind her, go in front of her, and then behind her, quickly covering the bloody gashes that were still oozing a little.

Chiyo then tenderly laid Sakaki's body back down onto the bed and dipped the towel into a basin filled with ice cold, refreshing water. She squeezed out the excess liquid, and then placed it on her forehead, sighed, and then turned around.

"You should get some rest now, your body needs to recuperate. And… thanks for protecting me from the cats," she said as she turned once again to face Sakaki, "you always seem to save me from any danger. Every time things looked bad, you would always put your hand on my head and say things would be alright…"

Her gaze went straight through Sakaki's eyes, and down to her soul, warming everything inside of her until she thought she would melt down into a pool of happiness and bliss. Then, Chiyo swiftly closed in and placed a short kiss on her cheek. Sakaki felt as if the agonizing pain that enclosed around her body had suddenly lifted, and she felt her cheeks grow hot.

Chiyo-chan giggled and smiled, then stood up. She walked to the door and paused. Sakaki couldn't tell what she was doing, or what she was thinking, but then her friend shook her head and walked out the door.

She wondered what that was all about, and then closed her eyes. 'I might as well try and get some sleep. I won't be able to get up and walk around yet in my condition. I hope Maya will be okay if I just stay here for a little while longer…'

Her eyelids began to droop, and she felt the tiredness catching up to her weak body, and eventually yielded to her body's needs.

The town was alive with sirens blasting everywhere, screams and shouts filling the sinister skies. She ran and ran in search of her friend in fear that she might have been hurt or injured.

_"Where are you? Chiyo-chan! Where are you?" her scream merging with the cacophony of other shrieks and ear-piercing cries. People were running around, darting left and right, like frightened ants that were thrown from their normal route, confused at what to do._

_Sakaki ran faster and faster in a frantic panic as houses zipped by at a faster rate then she had ever seen before. Her feet pounded against the cold ground as she pushed herself to hurry._

_'Something is wrong! Something horrible has just happened! Where could she be?' she thought as she ran down the chaotic roads and streets._

_Her eyes widened as an evil shadowy veil rose above to the shadowy sky. 'A black cloud… that's smoke! Oh please, don't let it be her!' She kept her eyes to the angry red sky as the haze spread out like an infectious disease._

_She dashed down the alleyway, cutting corners and launching herself forward, kicking her feet to go rapidly. She emerged from the alley only to be greeted by the most horrid scene that she has ever witnessed before. She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at ghastly area. _

_ Fires were blazing throughout the whole stretch of pavement as firemen rushed to try and shoot water at them to put them out. Blood was splattered on the ground as if someone threw bucketfuls of it everywhere. Frightened spectators watched in morbid curiosity as medics pulled bodies out from underneath burning cars._

_ Agonizing moans and groans ripped through the sky, adding more noise to the din, as more and more people who were trapped under flaming cars were starting to be incinerated by the intensity of the heat._

_ Scanning the place while shielding her eyes from the severe light, Sakaki saw something in the distance that made her blood run cold. 'No…!' she thought as her mind raced with a multitude of thoughts, 'it can't be her!'_

_ A fiery metal deathtrap exploded next to her and caused her to fly through the air and skid against the concrete. She let out a cry of pain and grabbed her arm. 'I must get to Chiyo-chan!' _

_ She clenched her teeth and bared the pain as she swaggered upwards and continued running. _

_ Infernos blazed all around her, causing a severe headache to tear through her brain. Arriving at the fallen body in front of her, she kneeled down to get a closer look to see if it was who she fearfully thought it might be._

_ Another car exploded just in front of them, and Sakaki shielded Chiyo-chan with her body, gasping out as flaming metal shrapnel from the wreck shot into her back. She looked down at the body with tears in her eyes._

_ "Chiyo-chan… you can't be…" she couldn't finish the sentence. Raindrops began to drizzle down onto the death-ridden area, helping extinguish the flames, but not even the rain could extinguish the unbearable pain and longing that coursed through Sakaki's body._

_ She hugged her friend closely, her flowing tears mixing with the rain that plummeted down all around them. "Chiyo-chan… have you left me? It… it hurts… I miss you… say something to me?"_

_ Chiyo's delicate pale face just stayed there like a cold statue's, and Sakaki could only cry more. _

_ "Why did you leave me?! It wasn't your time! You were too young, and it should have been me instead! Oh why couldn't it have been me?!"_

_ She sat there straddling her friend's lifeless body when a paramedic approached them. "Miss, we're going to have to take that body now… the person has, well… passed away."_

_ Sakaki looked up at the man with blurred vision and clung onto the body until she was forced to let go. She saw him put Chiyo-chan's body into a body bag and lift her into an ambulance._

_ She sat there on the bitter cold ground, trying to deny what had just happened. She stare das the rain washed away her friend's blood from her hands, and from existence. Sitting there in dumb silence, she refused to accept the fate that had befallen her closest friend._

_ "It… hurts so much. You're gone, and I couldn't do a thing to prevent it… but, why did it have to be this way? Chiyo-chan! Why? WHHYYY?!"_

_ She rose up and her body shook as she violently screamed up to the sky. The stinging pain of losing her friend made her sick inside, it made her stomach churn. 'I have never felt this way before… yet I only realize it now?! Why now? I've been blind this whole time to what was plainly laid out in front of me!'_

_ Momentarily pausing her shrieks, she nostalgically remembered that her best moments were spent with her special best friend, but she realized that this could never ever come to happen again. Chiyo-chan was dead, and as far as she cared, she was dead as well. Without her friend, she has nothing to live for._

_ The tormenting pain came back, and she threw back her head out of frustration, letting the sky and the heavens themselves know her heart wrenching feelings. _

_ "CHIYO-CHAN!!!" _

****"Chiyo-chan!!!" her head darted up, causing a headache to rush to her head. Her friend looked at her from her chair stationed next to the bed, a look of concern covering her face.

"What's wrong Sakaki?" Sakaki stared at her, taking in all of her features, happy beyond words that it was only a dream, and her friend was all right. She pulled her friend in closely and hugged her tenderly.

Chiyo blushed and laughed. "Wha-what's up? I see you're feeling better, ne?" Sakaki stared at her lively friend and smiled. "It was… only a dream…" She stared in puzzlement at that remark, but then she added in a comment, her eyes dim as if she were in pain.

"When you were sleeping, you started crying and moaning. You tossed and turned on the bed and I almost thought you were dying for a moment. It scared me…"

Sakaki stared at her and then brought a hand up to her own face. She felt tears on the corners of her eyes, and then sighed. "I had a horrible dream… It wasn't me who died, but it did feel as if I did due to the circumstance that occurred. I never… want that to happen. Ever."

Fresh tears began to fall down Sakaki's flushed cheeks as Chiyo-chan just hugged her closely, trying to comfort her upset friend. "I can't make the pain go away, or the dream from your memory, but I can help you have a fun day," she drew back from her friend, "and I think that a nice walk around the park will do you some good."

Sakaki looked at her considerate friend, but had to shake her head at the enticing offer. "I can't… I have to go back to work. Mr. Hiyemoto won't be all that happy if I miss so many days."

Chiyo-chan was well prepared for this answer and chuckled, "Of course, you're the dedicated veterinarian assistant. Although you do have work, I had already called in for you and explained everything to him. He completely understood, and he told you to get better soon."

Sakaki looked at Chiyo-chan's innocent grin and couldn't help but smile back.

=============================================================

She playfully grabbed her hand and led her tall friend to a tree to rest underneath it. The two sat down against the trunk of the tree and took in the surroundings. It was a beautiful day outside, only a few clouds dotted the sky.

A pink cherry blossom drifted down and settled onto Sakaki's lap. Chiyo rested her head on her shoulder and began to doze off, breathing lightly. Sakaki looked around and admired all of the sakura trees that were scattered about the park, and the green grass that flowed openly.

Small kids were running around and playing with their dog, laughing and rolling down the few small hills that were around the area. She smiled at their youthful antics and remembered her younger days. A lot of the past was blurry for her, until it came to high school.

Those days, she remembered the clearest. Chiyo-chan was in most of her memories, she noticed, but that didn't really bother her.

"Wow… high school was almost seven years ago? Or was it six?" as she was pondering the years that have gone by, a voice was heard behind her.

"It was five years ago. Tell me how you passed your math class again?" Sakaki turned her head to see Tomo laughing and Yomi smiling. The pair sat down in front of her and they looked at the falling cherry blossoms.

"It's nice outside today," Yomi turned to look at Sakaki, "funny meeting you two here."

She noticed the bandages and scrapes that covered her body, not to mention the different shades of black and blue from the bruises. She nodded at her, "What happened to you?"  
Sakaki looked at Chiyo's sleeping form, and then looked at her bandages, "I was just crossing the street a day or two ago and then a car almost hit me. I jumped out of the way, but that speeding car caused an accident." Tomo sprang up.

"Ah! You must've been in the huge accident that I saw in the news! A big wreck happened, and I thought, 'Hey, THAT'S AWESOME!'" she grinned, and Yomi told her to sit down and stop acting stupid.

Sakaki laughed and replied, "Yeah, I guess that's the one. Well, after that, I kind of wandered off down an alley and heard someone calling for help. I ran over and saw Chiyo-chan getting cornered by a big army of cats, so I went and helped her."

Yomi nodded and looked at Chiyo-chan, who had been awake and listening to the conversation. She smiled.

"Hey guys. Nice to see you two again." She said. Tomo grinned widely and struck a pose.

"I bet you couldn't get enough of us, eh Chiyo-chan? Bwahahaha!" Yomi had to once again pull her loud friend down and told her to shut up. "Hey, does anyone want to go get some taiyaki with me?"

Chiyo stood up and fished her wallet out of her back pocket, "I'll come with you, those things taste really good. Don't you like the red bean taiyakis because they're low calerie? Good for your diet."

Tomo doubled over and erupted into laughter, "HAHAHA! She's got you there diet girl! Why do you always have to watch your weight? Woohoo, do you think you're fat? I certainly do, hehehe."

Yomi turned around abruptly, but instead of having a furious glare, she had a hurt look in her eyes, "You really… think I'm that big?" Tomo was caught off guard by the reaction, and she could only sputter.

"Uh… uh… n-no… I don't…" Yomi sat back down in silence, then she told Tomo to go get taiyaki with Chiyo-chan. Tomo stood up and looked down at her friend with a worried look. So the two walked off in the direction of the taiyaki store.

Yomi pulled her legs in close and rested her chin down on them, sighing as she did it. Sakaki looked at her and wondered what was bothering her so much. "Yomi, something is wrong, I can tell. If I may be so bold, may I ask what is bothering you?" her friend didn't look up, but she began to speak.

"Well… I've always tried my hardest to be smart and study hard, but when it comes to maintaining my looks, I don't think I'm all that thin. I've always tried to look good for Tomo, but then-" her eyes opened wide.

"Oh no… did I just say…" she looked at Sakaki who had a perplexed look on her face. "Yomi, you just said that you tried to always look good for Tomo. What do you mean by that?"

Her friend dropped her head low and blushed, "Well, I… have always been kind of… erm… fond of Tomo, a crush if you will. I don't really know why, but I just feel different when I'm with her, so I came to that conclusion. I can't tell her though because that would jeopardize our friendship… "

Sakaki looked at her, and then something sprang up in her mind, "You said you just kind of feel different with her, and you concluded that you liked her. How did you really know that?"

Yomi shook her head, "I don't really know that I do, and I can't prove it, but I think it's just there, you know? It's a… unique kind of thing that you can't really explain, but you know that it's just what it is." The sun began setting, and the sky mixed with the ground in a mysteriously beautiful auburn red color.

Sakaki stared at the ground in silence, thinking about the words that her friend spoke to her. Perhaps she had found the answer, perhaps not, she could only sit and wonder. Her train of thought was interrupted when a large explosion shook the ground. Not long after, Tomo was seen running at them as fast as she could, despite her slow speed.

A half eaten-taiyaki was in her hand, but that was not the thing that Yomi noticed. Tomo was bleeding and cut everywhere, but she was trying to get to them as fast as she could; she had something important.

Arriving at the two friends, their usually cheerful and happy friend was on the brink of exhaustion as she collapsed on Yomi. The two fell to the ground, with Tomo's nearly limp form almost crushing Yomi's body.

"What happened? Tomo! You're hurt! Say something!" she said, her voice dripping with concern. Her hurt friend looked up and tried speaking, and managed to say, "Chiyo…….chan…" before she sputtered up blood and slipped out of consciousness. Sakaki bolted upright, and a wave of déjà vu struck her.

Yomi was holding Tomo closely. Fear grabbed hold of Sakaki's throat, and she could only start running. She looked to the sky and noticed that it was an angry crimson red, with clouds streaking across it.

'No…!' she thought, thoughts screaming in her head. She ran down an alleyway, and heard a siren. Not long after that, screams and shouts started to rise up and they filled the sinister skies. Sakaki ran faster out of fear of knowing what was to come.

'This is just like my dream! But it can't be!' her thoughts raced. "Chiyo-chan! Where are you? Where are you?!" Her shouts merged with the various other rackets to make a jumbled bunch of noises. She ran down some streets and then came upon a familiar looking alleyway, even though she had never even been down there in her life.

'Something's wrong! I know it is! Oh no, could it be there yet?!' she looked up to the wrathful sky and saw the dreaded black cloud that signaled death and a foreboding future; things were playing out exactly as her dream had, which meant that pain was going to follow.

"Chiyo-chan!!!" She ran faster, already knowing the consequences of not hurrying. Thoughts and memories of the sight of her dead body lying on the cold floor caused her to shake her head, 'Get a grip! This is real life, not a dream! I can make a difference!' she thought.

She emerged to the streets, and saw, and smelt, the death and grisly sights. Bodies were thrown about in bloody heaps, and people were watching with their curious thoughts. Huge, fiery infernos reached up and licked the sky as firemen struggled to put them out. The moans of the dead began to rip through the air as more people began to get burned, just like in her dream.

Without hesitation, she ran in the direction that she knew, and dreaded, where her friend would be, and sure enough, she saw a small body lying in the road. Her blood went cold and she picked up her pace.

She heard an explosion, and then a burning car came flying in her direction. Her eyes dilated, and saw the huge metal deathtrap ready to hit her. She made a dive under it, and with all her might, she rolled quickly and barely avoided the flying projectile. She even felt the flames singe part of her long black hair.

Arriving at Chiyo-chan's body, she grasped her friend close and let out a hiss as she clenched her teeth. Her wounds had reopened and they started to bleed again, causing red stains to blotch her clothes.

None of that mattered to her, all she was concerned about was her dear friend, and the fact that she wasn't moving. She shook her gently, "Chiyo-chan, please wake up. This can't happen! I even had a dream of this, yet… I wasn't able to save you then. Perhaps… I could save you now?"

Dark clouds hung in the sky as droplets of rain started to fall down, causing her to shiver. Tears stung her eyes and mingled with the water around her as she lowered her face to meet her friend's.

'Her lips are so soft, but they're so cold…' She stared at her friend, her face in a peaceful smile. "She probably was eating taiyaki with Tomo when this disaster happened…" said Sakaki, "and I was with Yomi, talking about…" She thought about what they were discussing, and it finally hit her, hard.

"Oh Chiyo-chan…no… it's too late! That gleam in your eyes, it was love, wasn't it? How could I be so blind?! I can't do anything now, I'm helpless to save you!" she remembered how her friend had said that she always protected her.

"Well, look at us now. Where has my protection gotten you? You're… gone…"

Sakaki wiped her eyes clean from tears and rainwater, and then whispered into her ear for only her friend to hear.

"I…love you." She held her close and hugged her tightly. A medic came over, and stared at them, then he yelled for a stretcher.

"Miss! That person is still living and we have to get her to a hospital this instant!" Sakaki's eyes widened; this was not how the dream was. "What? Are you sure? Do you mean it?" The man nodded.

He picked up Chiyo-chan's body and carefully placed her on the newly arrived stretcher. "You can go and see her in the hospital."

Sakaki nodded, and ran to her lonely white car, filled with a renewed hope, and unaware of the eyes that followed her movement.

=============================================================

The short-haired girl was seen around the corner, watching in the shadows.

"Ha, I got her. This plan worked. It may have been a bit extreme, but that is all it takes to get what I ultimately need. In the end, you will be mine.

=============================================================

Hospitals smell of new medical equipment, and sterile gloves. It also smelled of death and sickness. To Sakaki at the moment, it most likely resembled the latter. Chiyo-chan was put into the OR under critical condition. Multiple gashes riddled her body, and they needed to stitch them up, or else she would bleed out and die.

Sakaki had been waiting in the guest room for four hours now, with weariness and fatigue tugging at her shirt. She ran her hands through her hair in frustration and pounded her fist into the coffee table, causing her knuckles to let out a _crack_ sound.

The whole gang had come, Kagura, Kaorin, Osaka, Yomi, and Tomo who had been taken care of thanks to Yomi.

Yomi walked up to Sakaki's form and put a hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her. "I can't even begin to understand how you're feeling right now…"

She looked up at her and smiled. Yomi shuddered and had to avert her gaze; Sakaki had no life in her smile, no feeling, it was empty.

Finally, the double doors swung open, and a doctor came out. He told the other workers to send the patient to the room 176, and then Sakaki gasped as she saw them wheel out Chiyo's body, which had numerous stitches on it from what she could see.

The man walked up to the group with a grim face and looked at his clipboard. He sighed, "Well… it seems that she will make it, though she almost didn't. Tough one she is, hanging on by a thin thread, she refused to give up. She has a strong will to live, must be something that kept her here, though she won't remember what it is when she wakes."

Sakaki eyed the doctor curiously, "What do you mean by that? 'Won't remember what it is when she wakes?'"

He turned to face her, but he didn't look her in the eye, "Well… I'm afraid that she suffered multiple bruises and some ribs punctured her lungs, as well as numerous cuts and gashes that went through her first and second skin layer, almost through her third and to the bone. That's not the worst part though." He paused and everyone was waiting anxiously for what he was about to say.

"She suffered a severe head injury, and that was the thing that nearly killed her, but it didn't," everyone sighed in relief, "but as I said, that was the bad part. She didn't die, but she has amnesia now. She won't remember anything, and it'll take a long time for her to regain her memory. There's even a chance that she won't get it back at all, thought that's rare…"

Sakaki couldn't believe what she was hearing, and it made her heart ache. She grabbed her chest lightly, and looked at the doctor.

"Um… if it is alright with you, I would like to see her." He stared at her for a long time, and then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, you can't right now. She's still in a critical condition, and I can't have you doing anything that might alter that now. We need to play it safe." He nodded at her and everyone began to disperse.

Sakaki feigned walking outside, then darted down the hallway. She ran into the elevator and pressed the button for the fifth floor. _Ping_

The soft click of the elevator and the slowing of the speed signaled the end of the ride, and the doors slid open smoothly. She stepped out into the cold empty hallway, and spotted the room.

'176' She thought, 'this is it.' Her hand rested on the handle to the door and slowly opened it, the squeaking hinges giving way. Sakaki walked inside slowly and quietly, and spotted her friend on the bed. She closed the door behind her and walked up to Chiyo's frail body, hooked up to many wires and tubes.

A small oxygen mask was covering her mouth, allowing for air to go into her lungs, letting her breath precious life. Sakaki brought up a rolling chair next to her bed and sat down, facing her sleeping friend.

"You're in a coma, and you've lost your memory. How ironic, this is right when I find out that the thing I was feeling was love. It was mutual, and now here we are, you in this bed, and me talking to you," she whispered, "and… when you awake, what will happen? How will things turn out to be? Oh well, I should be happy that you didn't die… like in my dream… no, nightmare."

She leaned forward and rested her head on the bed next to Chiyo's arm, and she brought up her hand to rest on her friend's. Her eyes began to sag, and her head began to feel light.

"Chiyo-chan…" were her last words before she drifted off into a deep slumber.

=============================================================

She stood outside of the door, looking into the small paned glass that allowed one to look inside. She saw her place her hand on the small girl's, and that shot a bullet through her heart seeing that.

"I will get you. You will be mine. I just have to wait, and it will soon be time."


	4. Chapter 4: Footsteps Echoing in the Dark...

**Chapter 4: Footsteps Echoing in the Darkness**

Darkness, all around her, so inconceivably obscure that nothing could be seen. Nothing was palpable around her body, not even the ground itself. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to retain any heat that she could from the cold, desolate void around her.

_ Then, in the far distance away from her, she spotted a vision; it was a small person. Sensing warmth and happiness radiating out from it, practically spilling with joy, she desperately attempted to reach it._

_ After forcing the nothingness to push her towards the source of light, she looked at the small being._

_ "Chiyo-chan…?"The face looked up, and it completely resembled her young love, except for one aspect; her eyes. Sakaki drew away and trembled. 'Those eyes, oh those eyes! They're emotionless and cold… such emptiness!' she imagined._

_ "Sakaki…"her friend breathed, causing the tall girl to hesitantly turn around. A choked sob escaped her lips as she stared at the dead body that was once Chiyo-chan. It held out its hand and with melancholy look it sighed._

_ "Why did you let me die? Don't you love me?" Sakaki was at a loss for words. She couldn't bear to see her friend in so much pain and the tears continued to fall out like shining rivulets. "Chiyo-chan! I did love you, and I still do!" She turned her back._

_ She let herself float away, no longer attracted to the dying warmth behind her. She sighed, "What has become of this sad soul?" she whispered to no one in particular. Suddenly, the ground beneath her became solid, and she fell hard onto the burning pavement. "What's this?!" She looked around but only horror and remorse entrenched her grieving heart._

_ It was the same massacred scene where she had found Chiyo's body, both in dream and in reality. Hot waves of pain and sorrow shot through her body, it coursed through her blood causing fresh feelings to burn her insides. _

_ The sky turned a dark crimson red, and little drops began to fall from the sky; sanguine colored drops. It was as if the dismal clouds began shedding tears of repentance, even feeling the hurt that the pained girl was experiencing._

_ She huddled on the ground, waiting for the searing hot ground to annihilate her existence._

_ "I don't want anything else, I just want you…" The ruby red droplets plunged to the ground, splattering in sick wet sprays of exploding liquid. They splashed harder and harder on Sakaki's body, making her feel heavy with regret. "If only I had said something sooner…" _

_ A loud cackle shot through the air, piercing through the gloomy clouds, slicing through her head and penetrating her brain._

_ Footsteps echoed down the street making the ground reverberate with loud sounds. The raindrops pitter-patter was intensified as the cry of dissonance resonated throughout the whole area. She clutched her head in a feeble attempt to block out the footsteps and that hideous laughter that seemed to follow her._

_ It sounded so familiar, yet it hurt her ears, and she tried to push it away from her thoughts. Body convulsing, she screamed and cried out for them to stop and leave her alone. The offensive sounds, in unison with the horrifying laugh and footsteps, seemed to go together like a giant chorus of a thousand deaths._

_ Huddling to the ground, the unbearable din came to a climax as she just wished that it could go away._

_ "Why won't you leave me alone? All I really want is to be with Chiyo-chan!" The repulsive laugh came back louder than ever, except a voice followed it; a familiar one._

_ "You can't have her, and she can certainly never have you. Not if I have anything to say about it," continued the voice, "and I will see to it that you will be mine and only mine! Chiyo-chan can never have you! NEVER!"_

"Ah!" Sakaki's eyes snapped open, and she realized that she was still inside of Chiyo-chan's hospital room, except now there were guests in it. Osaka walked up to her and kneeled down.

"Hi. When we came, you were already sleeping here in that chair. I don't know how you can do it, you must be like, a sloth or something because those things sleep a lot, even while in weird positions. Yep, uh huh, a sloth."

Sakaki looked at her weirdly, 'A sloth huh?' she thought. Yomi walked up next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright? When we arrived, you were sweating and you kept tossing and turning. You were clenching Chiyo-chan's hand like there was no tomorrow, and you were making little noises. What happened?"

Sakaki looked at her hand intertwined with Chiyo's and pulled away, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. She looked at everyone and let out a sigh, "I had a nightmare… it was as if I was reliving yesterday, that fateful day. It was horrible…"

Kaorin bounced next to her, smiling far too widely despite the whole situation, "You're okay though! That's a very good thing!" Sakaki looked at her almost disapprovingly and then turned her head ever so slightly to look at the body that was breathing deeply in a coma.

Noticing that special gaze she was giving, that wasn't directed at her, Kaorin struck up another conversation, "Well, uh, what are you going to do today?" Sakaki hesitated a while, then she turned back around to face her, not returning the look in her eyes.

"I think I'm going to stay here with Chiyo-chan for a little while longer, then I think I'll go home." Everyone looked grimly at their critically injured friend and each got lost in their own little thoughts. Yomi noticed the distance in Sakaki's eyes, and could almost feel the sorrow that she was giving off.

She tugged at Tomo's bandaged arm and led her out the door. "C'mon, let's get going. I think we should leave them alone for awhile." She whispered.

Her usually clueless friend looked at with confusion, then finally understood what she was trying to get at. She nodded and grinned. "I wonder what their future will be like." Yomi sighed and muttered under her breath, "Hopefully better than mine will be with you…" Tomo looked at her.

"Did you say something Yomi-chaaaan?" Her friend turned to glare at her with a faint blush creeping up on her cheeks. "I SAID NOTHING OF THE SORT THANK YOU!" obviously embarrassed, she walked down the hallway hastily with Tomo barely able to keep up with her.

Kagura watched the pair exit and smirked, "I wonder what they're always so happy about. They must've been a married couple in their past life or something, they sure argue like one." Sakaki snorted and everyone looked at her questioningly.

She coughed and continued to look at Chiyo-chan's recuperating form, "Hey, where's Kurosawa-sensei and Yukari-sensei?"

Osaka didn't look at her, but she answered nonetheless, "They said they had something to do together. I don't know what it was, but I don't think that they knew Chiyo-chan was in the hospital. I think I just said a close friend of mine was visiting here and I was inviting them to come over…"

Kagura slapped her forehead and let a sigh of exasperation, "Why didn't you just say that b Chiyo-chan /b was in the hospital, and she was not just a visitor, but a patient, b in a coma /b ?"

Sakaki kept looking at Chiyo's serene body and couldn't help herself. Glittery drops made a moist trail down the sides of her cheeks as she tried to contain it, but hopelessly failing at it. She forcefully set her head on the bed next to her possibly dying friend and slammed her fist into the cushiony soft bed, angry and frustrated at herself.

"Ah! Oh Chiyo-chan! I could have done something!" The tears started to stream down her face as all of her anguish came pouring out too. It was as if all of her pent up feelings began to seep out and leak onto the outside. Kaorin attempted to comfort her by putting her hand on her grieving friend's back, but she only felt her body tense up and she recoiled.

Osaka studied her sad friend and whispered into Kagura's ear, and they began to quietly creep out of the room. As they silently ushered out, Kagura breathed something back to Osaka and she nodded her head.

Kaorin remained inside of the room though, and she continued to stare intently at Sakaki, her piercing gaze hidden from her friend. She disapproved at how closely her object of affection was touching Chiyo's still hand.

'Perhaps that course of action was not a very wise one…' she thought, 'Curses, did I just make their bond even stronger?' she silently kicked herself mentally. She couldn't take it, just standing there in the sidelines, watching her unrequited love continue to stroke and caress the girl's hand.

Stuck in a deadbeat mode, Kaorin attempted to pull Sakaki out of it, for now might be her only chance to strike. Chiyo-chan was not awake to say anything, so her thoughts could not be swayed at all. Maybe now could be her only time to do something. With vile thoughts in her mind, she leaned against the wall.

"Hey Sakaki… can you come over here for a moment?" it took a while, but her reluctant friend finally stood up, and she slowly trudged over to her position. She looked at her with dark eyes and talked in a flat tone.

"What is it." She asked. Her short-haired friend gulped audibly, but continued to talk anyways. "Well, I… wanted to talk to you about some things. They are kind of personal though, so if you don't mind me asking, I would be honored if you gave back some answers."

Sakaki looked at her, as if she were considering something, and then she nodded in acceptance and said that she could ask away.

"Well, I was just wondering, who is it that you like right now? I mean… you haven't really said anything or talking about boys. At all for that matter. You can tell me…"

She had a surprised look on her face; she wasn't ready for that kind of question. "I uh, what? Erm… well, there isn't any guy that I like right now." Kaorin made a side glance and glared at the wall, 'No guy, of course, but Chiyo-chan isn't a guy, and it's very obvious you numb nut.' She thought.

Sakaki looked down at her with an almost displeased look, "Why did you ask that? And here of all places too! This isn't really the time and place to be talking about this sort of stuff." Kaorin shook her head.

"Oh I beg to differ. I need to talk to you about something, right now! Do you like anybody?! Honestly now, is there someone out there that you're with? And do you like him?"

Sakaki was beginning to get irritated at her rash and sudden behavior. She usually didn't like to raise her voice, but right now, she wasn't in the mood to mess around and play mind games, "No, I told you already! There isn't any guy out there that I like!"

Kaorin flushed with anger, "Well, do you like me?!" Sakaki stared at her, immensely ticked off at her forcefulness. Why would she talk like this all of a sudden? She absolutely had no real reason to.

"No I don't!" Kaorin's face burned read with fury, "Well, why not!?" Sakaki stood there flabbergasted. "Wh-what?" Her shorter friend clenched her teeth. "Don't you get it?"

She suddenly stood on her toes and forcefully pressed her lips to Sakaki's in a crushing kiss. Her taller friend squirmed at the suddenness and she pushed her away.

"What are you doing?! I had already told you that I don't like you! I don't like you!" Kaorin fumed and had to spit her fury out.

"Oh, but you like Chiyo-chan?" That hit it. The nerve that was deep inside of Sakaki's body was struck, it was struck with a ten-pound mallet, and it snapped. Nobody talks like that to her, especially when it involves her love life, even if the statement was true.

"GET OUT! YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT TO TALK ABOUT CHIYO-CHAN, OR ME, IN THAT SORT OF WAY!"

Kaorin was partly startled at Sakaki's reaction, and she knew that she had just about killed her chance, but now, none of that really mattered. She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her out of blind rage, and no consideration for the rest of the patients and people who were in the hospital.

At least she struck a nerve, and she knew what it was, or moreover, who it was. She laughed and that familiar unpleasant tingle was left lingering in her tainted voice.

"Oh Sakaki, if I can't have you no one will."

=============================================================

It was nighttime already at the hospital as visitors began to leave one by one. Sakaki sat there in the spare chair that was resting beside the bed and she observed her friend. For a long time, uncountable to her, she continued cursing obscenities like she never did before. "Chiyo-chan, it was all about you, and I had to do something."

She stared at her still form and chuckled at herself, "To think, I must be going insane. I've been talking to you for hours now, not even caring if I get a response. Hm… but when you awake, amnesia is it? You will not recall anything of me… and if you did happen to love me before, you won't even remember it. Truly a nearly hopeless predicament you have left me in…"

She chortled, despite the grim looking future and she interlaced her fingers with that of her best friend, "I'll just have to somehow get you to love me all over again. If you did love me then, it could happen now… that would be a special day… but for now."

She stood up, making the rolling chair fall back behind her just a little bit before coming to a slow stop as it hit the next bed. Sakaki looked around at the distasteful room, with all of its plain white walls and its horrible stench of death and illness.

"For now, I'll just have to go home though, I still have my job and animals to attend to."

She stooped down and placed a small kiss on Chiyo's cheek. She watched as her friend's body moved ever so slightly, and hope started to bubble to the surface, only to be crushed when nothing more happened. She sighed and felt a tear tug at the corner of her eye.

"Oh Chiyo-chan…"

With that, she tore herself away from her friend, and left the empty tired building, and walked to her white little car. She turned the ignition and heard the engine hum to life, which seemed to be very contrary to how she felt right now. Driving home in a daze, she almost didn't catch the red light.

Stopping suddenly, she heard a chorus of honks behind her, and she slumped down into her seat to hide her embarrassment from everybody, even though they couldn't see her.

'That was close…' she thought. She drowsily walked up to her apartment complex, and after finally reaching her floor, she spotted the faint glow of the reflection off the number _176_.

Sluggishly sticking the key into the lock, Sakaki turned the knob and walked inside of her small but cozy abode. Maya was sitting on the counter sleeping, with his furry head resting on his paws with his chest rising and falling with his breathing. Closing the door behind her silently, she slipped off her shoes and walked straight to her futon, feeling heavy and worn out.

Sakaki pulled the covers slightly above her midriff and laid there, staring at the lonely ceiling once again. Moonlight flickered through the window and it dimly illuminated the small apartment, but it failed to illuminate her empty heart. Shadows danced on the ceiling as the leaves from the swaying trees moved in the wind of the night.

She sat there with one arm draped over her forehead, concentrating deeply on the main events that seemed to take place in such a short span of time. Thinking of her nearly dying friend caused her to weep tears of longing and distress. Tossing back and forth, she attempted to analyze the situation.

"Was this my doing? Could I have prevented it at all? Oh if only I had seen it earlier, then perhaps it could have worked out." Her glimmering eyes looked scanned the plain white ceiling as if it held the answer to all of her troubles. She growled in aggravation as she tried time and again to find a reasonable solution to it all.

Eventually, after failing miserably at her self-analysis and reasoning, she decided to call it quits for the night. After all, she had work the next day. Sleep was soon setting in as she gave one last thought on things.

'Things will work out if I keep hope and faith in it all. Faith… faith is what I need to get Chiyo-chan back.'

Irate footsteps pounded against the floor as she kept running from them. Those angry steps were not her own, but they continued to grow louder by the second as she tried to escape them. She stumbled and hit the ground hard, fearing that the steps would catch up to her.

_ "Leave me alone, please! What is it that you want?!" her frantic eyes darted back and forth as she tried to make out anything in the bloody red atmosphere. It seemed like plumes of reddish black clouds were mixing around all about her and nothing made sense._

_ No voice answered back, but the footsteps continued to grow louder. Her hands flew up to her ears in an effort to block out the head pounding noise, but to no avail; the harder she tried, the more deafening and thunderous the sounds became. _

_ The shining red mist exploded into light, and then suddenly, darkness. Darkness, all around her, swallowing her whole and then not releasing her. She wrapped her arms around her body and noticed that things were suddenly freezing cold. Her body began shaking and quivering as she felt her blood run cold, her insides freezing up until nothing warm was coursing through her body._

_ She huddled up in a ball, suddenly overcome with shame and guilt. When she thought that nothing good could ever happen, she heard a small little voice; a familiar one that made her heart ache._

_ "Chiyo…chan…?"Sakaki slowly lifted her head and she choked back a scream and instead made a whimper sound._

_ Her best friend's dead body was floating in front of her, that very same image that was haunting her mind and her dreams for so long a time. Sakaki scrambled backwards and rose to her feet shakily._

_ "No! No! You didn't die! You're still with us! With me…! I didn't kill you!" she said pleadingly, trying to make the ghostly specter go away. The image continued to plague her thoughts and visions, and it wouldn't leave her alone. Then, Chiyo-chan began to speak in an emotionless tone. _

_ "You may not have killed me physically, but in my heart, down to my very own sad soul, you did not acknowledge what was there. You left me hurting, and it pained me so much for us to be so close, but you continued to be so oblivious to the truth. Stop running away from it."_

_ Sakaki looked at her in disbelief, "What? I'm not… denying anything! I was never running in the first place… I just took… a while to realize something that I never thought was there. You must believe me! I should have known… but I…"_

_ She trailed off and the wraithlike Chiyo-chan looked at her, "But you didn't know. It might be too late for us… one cannot tell at this point. All you can do is wait, and if fate lets it be, then so go along with it. Right now, I am gone."_

_ Sakaki dropped to her feet in defeat as she watched her friend evanesce until no trace of the specter was left except for that uninviting, dark, cold abyss that was her feelings._

Sakaki's eyes opened quickly and she felt dizzy despite the fact that she was laying on the ground. She was breathing heavily, and she was covered in almost a thin layer of sweat. After getting herself back under control and regaining at least some composure, she sat up.

Shaking her head in order to clear her thoughts, she couldn't get that image of Chiyo-chan out of her head. 'Death and solitude was in that dream, no, nightmare, and it keeps on haunting me…why won't it stop?'

She was so busy thinking about the horrible nightmare that she noticed her alarm was going off, with its annoying buzzing sound. Maya opened his eyes and stretched out his legs and paws, slowly yawning and coming back to consciousness. Early sunlight was just barely peering over the horizon as the first signs of light grazed the hilltops and escaped into the apartment through the windows.

The light was almost glittering as it reflected off a picture frame that Sakaki had on the shelf over in front of her. She knew that picture by heart, and she could tell what it was, no matter how far away she was. It was a picture of her, Chiyo-chan, Yomi, Tomo, Osaka, and Kaorin. Maya was perched on Sakaki's shoulder as Sakaki had her arm draped comfortably around Chiyo's shoulders.

Tomo was clinging onto Yomi's arm and she was flashing a peace sign as her blushing friend's face contorted into a look of irritation, but that was just a guise to hide what she was feeling inside. Osaka was running around in the background just kind of waddling off like a penguin somewhere.

'We were getting ready to leave for Chiyo-chan's summer home… I remember it like it was yesterday…' her nightmare forgotten, she continued studying the picture until she noticed something; something strange. Kaorin was standing in the background as well, but she was staring intently at Sakaki and Chiyo-chan, and it was as if her glare was vicious and malevolent.

Sakaki gasped, and flashbacks from her dream flooded back to her like something had struck her. 'Kaorin…'

The second alarm went off signaling that she should get up and get ready for work faster. 'Running out of time? I hope not…' she thought as she went over to the multiple cupboards to fish out a can of tuna for Maya who was now fully awake and purring. After finding her desired item, and opening the metallic lid, she set it down for her little friend to eat.

"Bye Maya, I have to go to work now… be a good boy while I'm gone now, okay?" her little cat looked up and meowed back in response.

She grabbed her white coat and walked outside into the cold weather. After locking the door and turning around, she noticed that it was very serene at this hour. Glancing down at her wristwatch, she noted that it was just about 5:45am, and that she was needed at the veterinarian's office in about fifteen minutes.

With a brisk pace, she walked to her car and started it up. She backed out of the apartment area and then started driving towards her destination.

The nightmare was still bothering her. 'Why doesn't it just go away… and that thing that was in it. Those footsteps. What does it all mean? I can't make out anything from the whole mess.'

Arriving at her destination, she decided to shake off the dream and set her mind on her job that she needed to be thinking about. She walked inside and heard the bell above the door tingle, and Mr. Hiyemoto was there to greet her. He put his hand out and bowed slightly.

"How are you doing Sakaki? From what I heard from your friend, you got in quite the mess in these past days." He gestured at the bandages that still covered her healing wounds. She nodded at him and bowed in respect.

"I am doing fine Hiyemoto-sensei, there is nothing terribly wrong with me…" She kept her head down, but when she looked up, her mentor noticed a change in her eyes and her overall body aura. He came close and put a hand on her shoulder for reassurance.

"What is wrong? I sense something different about you. What happened?" she looked at him and nodded.

"You do indeed know much about me, more than I would have thought in the past ten months. My friend is hospitalized, and it is most likely the very same person that you talked to on the phone." Mr. Hiyemoto looked at her and sighed.

"Ah… that is an unfortunate event, I am sorry." His pupil nodded and bowed. "If it is okay, I will start working now. Please excuse me." With that, she walked over to the front desk and started to organize papers and files. The man sighed again and only hoped that she would get better.

Sakaki watched as the day dragged by, continuously staring at the round, crooked, little black clock that was hanging in the corner, counting the minutes, and then the hours. No major case came in yet, at least, none that the doctor needed any actual assistance with. She sat at the desk and continued to check over the files in the computer, over and over again she checked them until she realized that someone was at the counter.

"Hello and welcome. How may I help you?" there was a rather tall suave man who had somewhat stylishly messy hair that fell just over his eyes and it tapered off to a slick ponytail. He had expensive sunglasses on, even though they were indoors, and he wore a black suit with a black tie. He was holding a small Chihuahua in his arms, though he seemed to be kind of aloof and distant.

"Are you Sakaki, the veterinarian assistant?" he said with a calmly smooth voice. She nodded. He smiled and showed two rows of perfectly aligned pearly white teeth. "Ah, would you please take care of my pet? I believe it is sick, and I would like you to work on the thing."

Sakaki eyed him suspiciously; she did not trust him. The way he smiled and the way he held his dog, even the way he addressed his pet. First off, he called the dog an it instead of a gender, or what would have been better yet, the pet's own name. Another thing that bothered her, he held his dog so roughly, not even caring if he was gentle with the poor dog.

She hesitantly got up from her seat and escorted him to one of the pet examination rooms. He dumped the dog onto the silvery cold table and leaned against the wall as if he were in some kind of impressive pose. He had a conceited smirk on his face as if he was full of himself as his eyes raked Sakaki's body.

She picked a clipboard off the wall rack and she began to scan it while asking the normal questions. "So, what is it that you noticed wrong about your dog?" He grinned a twisted smile.

"Well, he has been coughing a bit, though I think I might have caught something from him, think you can inspect me too?" he guffawed obnoxiously loud, obviously thinking his retort was hilarious, while Sakaki could only gag at his self-righteous attitude.

"No, what's wrong with your dog?" she was beginning to get irritated at his annoying behavior, and she was terse with her words. He walked up and got behind her, wrapping his arms around her, his hot air breathing down her neck causing her to squirm at the uncomfortable position.

"Nothing's wrong with my mangy mutt, but there is something wrong with me. I heard that you're a very nice looking girl so I came down here to check you out and I see more than what I bargained for. How about we forget the dog and do something together tonight?"

Sakaki managed to push him backwards, slamming his body hard against the wall, and she ran to the dog.

"You're not doing anything. Now get out of my sight and I never want you coming back to this place, ever!" she grabbed hold of his shivering Chihuahua and held it close, trying to comfort the neglected dog.

The man walked closer and closer, unaware that Sakaki held athletic abilities and almost abnormal strength. She scowled at his stupid undaunted attempt at trying to make a move on her, and she lashed out by running at him full speed and smashing him with her shoulder.

The force of the impact sent him flying through the air and he hit the wall with a tremendous _thud_. The noise must have caught the attention of Mr. Hiyemoto because he came running in the room to see what the ruckus was all about, only to see Sakaki standing there, holding a small dog, and a man, crumpled on the floor by the wall.

Sakaki noticed her boss and bowed, all the while explained the messed up situation that had occurred. He nodded and understood, and then he alerted the authorities to come and pick up this scumbag. He looked at her as the cops eventually came, and then he looked at the little helpless dog.

He walked over to the computer and began putting it up for adoption, and if anyone wanted a caring little puppy Chihuahua, then the little dog was up for any willing family. He put his hand on Sakaki's shoulder again, showing his concern for what happened to her.

"Are you sure you're alright? He didn't do anything bad to you?" she shook her head and bowed. "He did not get to me. I'm alright thank you." The cell phone that was hooked onto her belt began buzzing. She looked at him and tilted her head in the slightest of bows and looked at her phone.

Her eyes widened at the message and her face lit up like a shining beacon in the darkest night. "Hiyemoto-sensei! They say that my friend is starting to pull out of the coma state! She might wake up soon, so they alerted me. May I please take one more day off?" He looked at her smiling face and shook his head. "Nope, I'm sorry, I can't let you go. You have already taken enough days off, and I'm afraid I can't let you go."

She looked at him, her face still and unchanging, her heart crushed into a thousand pieces. He looked away and his body started shaking. Sakaki looked at him in puzzlement.

"Hiyemoto-sensei, what's wrong?!" He turned his head and he had the widest grin on his face and he once again put his comforting hand on her shoulder. "I was just joking, you may go. I know that once you get your doctorate's degree, then I will be able to leave this veterinarian office in your care, and you will take care of all the animals, even if they did happen to be taken cared of by a horrible sleazy man. Go now, go to your friend."

Sakaki looked at him and smiled with tears emerging from her eyes. "Oh thank you Hiyemoto-sensei! I shall make these days up during my other days off."

He nodded and shooed her off. "Go now, or you might miss her." She looked at him and smiled. She bowed once before leaving the office out of respect, and he watched her leave. The bell's ring began to fade as he watched his most trusted and skilled assistant take off, happier than she ever had been in the past few weeks.

"I wonder about her and her friend sometimes…" he chuckled to himself and walked to the back office to drink his cup of coffee.

=============================================================

'I can't believe it! Chiyo-chan might wake up! Her condition is stabilizing… which means, she must be getting a lot better and much more healthier! Oh my little Chiyo-chan, you will be alright once I get there.'

She stepped on the gas pedal just a little bit harder, pushing the car to fifty miles per hour. The plainly colored hospital with the red cross came into view as she pulled up into the visitor's parking lot. After putting on the car brakes, she hopped out of the vehicle in a rush, nearly getting her hair stuck in the door when she closed it.

Running to the elevator, the nurses and doctors told her to slow down, but she didn't care. She laughed and ran into the elevator, nearly running into someone on crutches. She dodged him, but just barely, and she bowed to show her sincere apologies for nearly hitting him.

As soon as he hobbled away muttering, "You rowdy teens," she slammed on the button to go up to that special floor. The little round light blinked on and the doors opened up. She ran out, but this time, her agile adeptness could not save her. She ran into an unsuspecting person, and both people fell down.

"I'm so terribly sorry I-" she looked at whom she ran into, and it was none other than Kaorin. She looked at her and her eyes narrowed, obviously not forgetting what had happened the other day. They both looked at each other and nodded, simply acknowledging that they were sorry, and walked towards Chiyo-chan's room in silence.

Finally arriving at room _176, _Sakaki opened the door and walked inside. A wave of sterile hospital equipment and, strangely enough, flowers, hit her as soon as she took a few steps inside.

Everyone was standing off to the side with either flowers in their hands, or looking at the bouquet that they had brought and put in a vase besides Chiyo-chan's bed. Sakaki walked closer and noticed, with much happy glee and utter bliss, that the person hooked up to the IV was no more, and there was only a young girl sitting on the bed with a bandage around her head.

The girl turned her head to face them, though she didn't have a smile on her face, just a normal look, perhaps even one of confusion. Sakaki decided that she would wait for the others to present their flowers, and that she would be the last one to meet her. She wanted time alone to talk to her and be with her.

She walked back to the door and stepped outside. After hearing the minute click from the door, she leaned up against the wall and crossed her arms. She closed her eyes and took this opportunity to quietly listen to what was happening around her.

She heard the clatter of equipment down the hall to her right as the sound echoed throughout the long hallway, bouncing back and forth between walls. Tomo's gasp was heard inside of the room, and that probably didn't mean a good sign. Sakaki sighed.

'She won't have any memories of us, or anyone for that matter. How will I be able to talk to her about things? What if I happen to say something, or do something that offends her in any way? What if I'm completely wrong and misinterpreted everything that she was doing…? What if… no, stop these, 'what if' questions, they're just being plain annoying, and they're destroying your sanity. Just be yourself.'

She nodded, and waited. After some period of time, the door began to squeak open as the girls somberly came walking out, even Tomo didn't have her usual look of joy on her face. The girls silently walked to the elevator, save Yomi. She stood next to Sakaki and started talking to her, though she didn't make eye contact the whole time.

"She… the doctor was right. She doesn't remember anything, she doesn't remember any of us. Her memory is pretty much shot, and things don't look good. The doctor told us earlier, that if she were to regain her memory, we have to start doing things that can trigger an old reminiscence of some sort," Yomi sighed and her shoulders slumped, "maybe she'll remember you."

She looked up and looked her straight in the eye, "You were very important to her, more special than any of us. She once told me something in confidence, so I can't say it, but what I can tell you is that you were… held very dear to her. Go in and see her now."

Sakaki nodded and walked inside. The room was dark, and that caused the stranger to look at her wristwatch. '9:33pm? Hmm, I worked longer than I imagined…' she walked closer to her friend who was staring outside of the window at the moon. It cast shadows in the room, giving off the effect like there were spirits in hiding. Shaped in a crescent, the moon looked prettier than ever, but the stranger eventually made it to the bed despite looking at all of the beautiful scenery.

She sat down on the semi-soft bed and felt the blankets shift as Chiyo-chan moved a little bit to face this new stranger. "You… look familiar for some reason. Were those other girls your friends?" she asked.

The long-haired stranger nodded and spoke with a soft voice as if she were afraid to speak any louder in fear of hurting her hearing, "They were my friends, they are _our_ friends. You're our friend. You're Chiyo-chan."

A pleasantly harmonious laugh filled the silent air, breaking whatever tension was there, and it eased both girls. As the euphonious laugh died down, she couldn't help but giggle one more time, "Hehe, silly, of course I know my name. I know everything except for what I want to know. I… wait… you…you are no stranger… you are…" Her hand went up and clutched her head as she tried to concentrate.

She was going through her brain to find the answer when a strong but gentle touch warmed her shoulder. The stranger was putting her hand on her shoulder, comforting her like a long lost friend would. The stranger sighed, "Do you not recognize me…?" Sadly, the girl gradually shook her head. Shimmering drops of water slid down the cheek of the long haired stranger, "I'm… Sakaki, and before you lost your memory I was…" _your possible lover?_ She thought, "…your closest friend."

Chiyo-chan nodded and drew this stranger, this friend Sakaki, into an embrace. "I thank you for coming to see me. I… I hope to regain my memory soon, and I am very glad that you were with me today." They held in this position for a little while longer before Sakaki drew back.

'I don't feel like I should be hugging her, not like when I feel so strongly this way, it could hurt her…' she looked at her small friend looking up into her eyes as if she were glimpsing into her core. Sakaki looked away, unable to look at her searching eyes, because they were lacking in the spark that she used to see.

'They… she doesn't have that look in her eyes any longer. It was that same look that showed her… possible love for me, but now, it's gone. Perhaps it was never there to begin with…' she thought, '…but even still, I think… no, I know that I love her. Almost losing her once in reality nearly killed me, and losing her so many times in my dream nearly tore away my spirit…'

With her love untold, and her insides crushed to microscopic pieces, the only thing she could do was wait. Wait until fate and destiny played its hand in their future, and gave her back her memory.

'I must do what Yomi does with Tomo,' she sighed, holding tears at the same time, 'I must love her, but I can't say it or it may hurt us both. Our friendship is more important than my selfish wishes… and this is the way it must be.' She thought.

No matter what she was thinking though, it only hurt her, so all she could do was try and save her tears from Chiyo-chan. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling very icy cold. Her small friend brought her in for another embrace, but it didn't have that one little spark that should have been there. Sakaki closed her eyes tightly.

'I'm saving my tears from you on the outside, but without your love, I'm crying on the inside…Chiyo-chan…'

=============================================================

Unbeknownst to Sakaki and Chiyo-chan, the whole time they were in that tranquil, serene room, a person was watching them; someone who was upset at what they were witnessing.

Slowly melting away into the shadows the phantom-like person stealthily lurked, always watching, always hearing.

Back in her own dark home, she harbored a terrible plan, a venomous plan, one that would, and could only be manifested by one such as her. She sat at her desk in the inviting darkness and opened a drawer.

Pulling out a sharp piece of glinting metal with a handle, she twirled it around on it's tip on the desktop and watched as it carved its way through the wood as she twisted it.

Reaching back inside of the desk and pulling out this time a square, flat object, she placed the glossy object on the abused desk's flat surface. It was a picture, a photograph, one that contained two subjects in it. One, was the object of desire, one that was almost obtainable, whether it was by sheer force, or seduction.

'Most likely she's not going to be mine without a battle or a fight, but in the end, I will prevail and I will get her…'

The second subject in the picture was a small little girl with two distinctive pigtails on the sides of her head, laughing away, totally unaware of the devious plan that was being schemed. Laughing that hideous laugh, she ran the blade down the middle, cutting the picture into two clean sides.

Deftly twirling the blade on her hand, she gazed at the right side of the picture, looking at the perfect features of her beloved.

"Oh Sakaki, you know she is not for you. I am perfect, just right, you must know and see that by now. I have always been there for you, we are perfect together, unlike…" She glanced to the left side of the split photograph.

Her face contorted into a snarling look and she hissed through her clenched jaw. "…Unlike this ungrateful little girl who has never known you before! She just comes up a few more grades than she should, and suddenly, she is the object of your undivided attention. Well guess what my love…"

An atrocious laugh ripped through the sky and through the darkness causing the crows and other lowlife to scatter in the wake of the voice.

"Your undivided attention soon will be divided, and it will be all mine, whether I must force you or force your girlfriend to oblige!"

Her arm rose up to the sky with the glinting sinister dagger in its hand, and the point plunged down and it struck the innocent face of the subject in the picture, tearing it to shreds.

She howled a low ghastly laugh.

"Oh you will be mine."

The roar of the footsteps were heard in the distance.


	5. Chapter 5: Assembling the Final Pieces

**Chapter 5: Assembling the Final Pieces**

****

It had been two months since Chiyo-chan's fortunate recovery from her coma, and she was now walking around on her own, meeting people that she had previously known, and getting reacquainted with pretty much everyone.

Things had started to fall back in place like a perfect puzzle, but even though pieces fit into it, they didn't always connect cleanly; there were always a few small gaps.

The lapses in her memory gave her constant headaches whenever something from her past arose, and some recollections came slowly back to her, seeping themselves into the main part of her brain.

Even though her memory was starting to pull itself together, there was still one major gap that had not been filled, one that a certain tall, black-haired friend in a constant internal battle with her own emotions.

Sakaki found it hard, as they began to grow close once again, to restrain herself. She frequently had the urge to just embrace her friend lovingly and simply hold her, but that would scare her little friend. So, imprisoning everything within, she just stayed by her friend's side and comforted her when needed, shrugging off any animalistic instincts that were clawing at the steadfast wall that was constructed around her heart.

"This is a wonderful place Sakaki! I love the beautiful trees that are all around the place!" Exclaimed her energetic little friend Chiyo-chan.

That day, the whole group decided to take a trip to Sakura Park. They had brought a blanket and a basket in hopes of setting up a picnic, that is, if the weather allowed it.

'We're in luck,' Sakaki thought as she glanced upwards and noting the bright sun happily shining down upon them, 'today is a nice day, despite the early clouds from the advent winter.'

Tomo grinned as she slung her arm around Yomi's shoulders, "I visited the Taiyaki store before we came, and I loaded up on the goods!" she leaned to her side and whispered into her friend's ear, "And I bought a bunch of red bean taiyaki treats for my little Yomi-chan."

She laughed and ran ahead to catch up to Osaka, who was dreamily running around in a swerving path, as if she were doing a slalom downhill. Yomi was glad that she ran ahead because it would have been nearly impossible for her to miss the salient wildfire that seemed to spread across her face.

Sakaki noted the blush and chuckled to herself as she walked over to her embarrassed friend, letting Kagura hold onto the hand-woven basket containing their food. She patted her shoulder, "Hey, what's up? You look like you stayed out in the sun too long and you got badly burnt to a crisp. Did Tomo say something to you?"

Yomi stared at the grass beneath them thoughtfully, suddenly very preoccupied with looking at a little ladybug that was nibbling on a blade of grass.

"Well… Tomo… she kind of… made a statement or a comment that was kind of… it kind of… it gave off a faint glimmer of hope for me. She called me her 'little Yomi-chan,' and I wasn't really prepared for it. Ah, but I'm probably taking it the wrong way… she can't possibly feel the same towards me… right?"

She finally averted her gaze from the ladybug to look at Sakaki, only to be greeted by a warm smile.

"Well, you never know. You should try talking to her about things… if she's really your best friend… she should understand and she'll listen to you. Hmm, well, you can't really tell. She's your friend, and she will never leave you."

Yomi turned her head and watched her carefree friend run around on the grass, and then Tomo stopped. Grass was swaying and the few cherry blossoms that were still drifting in the wind were slowly falling to the ground. The breeze was gently rustling her long black hair.

'She grew her hair out these past few years… it looks nice, but… her short hair was nice too. Definitely a change though.' She sighed inwardly. She caught herself staring at her clumsy, yet lovable friend, when she turned her head and met her gaze. Yomi saw Tomo looking straight at her, and she knew that she was blushing greatly while staring at her, but she couldn't take her eyes away from the mesmerizing orbs.

Tomo smiled sweetly and waved for her to come and join her. Yomi looked at Sakaki, and she nodded with a grin.

"C'mon now, go to her. Maybe you can have a talk with her under that tree over there," she pointed to a secluded yet magnificent tree, "it's the only one in the whole park that has the most flower petals on it, despite the coming winter." Yomi smirked, "As if anything will happen… but I'll go over anyways. Should I keep my hopes up? My heart is beating so quickly right now…"

She inhaled deeply, taking in the bittersweet smells of the semi-living and dying petals mixed with the scent of snow, and ran to join her friend at the top of the hill. Arriving at the top of the hill to her joyous friend, Yomi leaned up against the tree that was growing at the apex.

"Hey Tomo… what's up? Do you need something?" her friend chortled and walked briskly to her friend, giving her an affectionate hug. Yomi felt her chest pounding swiftly, but then, due to the proximity of their bodies, she could feel her friend's heart racing as well.

Encircling her arms around her friend's waist, she closed her eyes at the long awaited feeling, and breathed in the scent of her silky hair. A blush spread across her cheeks, and she tried talking to Tomo without stuttering, well, at least not that much anyways.

"Uh… T-Tomo? Is there someth-thing wrong…? Did I d-do something?" Tomo laughed and tightened the hug.

"No, I just wanted to say…" she trailed off. Yomi withdrew her head and looked at her silent friend, and then she was playfully pulled to the ground, getting tickled on the way down. Tomo attacked her friend with her hands as Yomi desperately tried to push her tickling friend off.

"I got you! How do you like my super tickle attack!?" she giggled and looked into her friend's eyes endearingly. "You should have known something was going to happen, you always know that I do things like this… have you let your guard down my kawaii little Yomi-chan?"

New waves of feelings and longing rushed over her like a tidal wave, and it was now almost too overwhelming. Yomi almost couldn't constrain herself.

'This isn't right though! She doesn't know how I'm truly feeling… To her, this probably means nothing more than just two friends having a fun time, even if it means something deeper to me.' She thought inwardly.

Tomo eased her head to rest on top of Yomi's neck, but her friend wouldn't allow it. She gently slid her friend off her body and let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head furiously.

"I'm sorry Tomo, but I can't do this! To you it may seem like all fun and games… but to me… it… it's…" she stared at the ground in awkwardness, unsure if she should say what was on her mind and in her heart. A silent tear glided down her cheek as she remembered Sakaki's words.

_Well, you never know. You should try talking to her about things… if she's really your best friend… she should understand and she'll listen to you. Hmm, well, you can't really tell. She's your friend, and she will never leave you._

She continued to stare downward, and started to speak tentatively, doubt still clinging to her mind, "I… I've always kind of… well… I …errr… well Tomo… I've kind of never really hated you, even though I acted like, and treated you, like you were an idiot. I've kind of… admired you, so to speak, in a different way."

She immediately kicked herself mentally, 'No no no! That wasn't how it was supposed to come out! How stupid can you be?! Oh boy, I've done myself in this time…'

Looking up to see Tomo's reaction, she was kind of taken aback when she saw her friend looking concerned. She put her hand up to her face, and shook her head.

"No… you're feeling alright, that's for sure. Heh, even though I may not be the smartest person in the world, not even Einstein could make heads or tails of what you just said. Speak clearly, and in our common language please."

She grinned, and the radiance it gave off momentarily alleviated the tension and stress that was holding Yomi back, and it gave her the strength to say what she had meant to get out years ago.

"Tomo I… I like you, as more than just a friend, something much more. Words can't quite describe it, and I'll understand if you are… not really… open…" she trailed off, her confidence slipping away as that wide grin melted away from Tomo's face. Her once carefree friend now turned her head away and looked at the ground with a serious expression taking over, her cheeks flushing.

Yomi stared at her, and realized what she thought this meant, and stood up to leave. More silent tears fell to the ground as the torture of rejection struck her through the heart, and she started to walk away, until a hand grabbed her arm.

The sudden warmth caused her to ache for her friend's touch once again, but she knew it couldn't be, so she struggled to get away. Desperately trying to run away from what she so distraughtly desired, the firm grip on her arm restrained her, and like an anchor, held her steadfastly to the ground. "Let me go Tomo! Just let me go away!" she cried.

"Yomi! Don't go! I don't want you to go! I don't want you to leave…!" they both stopped in their tracks. Tomo walked closer to her anguished friend, and held her from behind, bringing their bodies closer.

"I don't ever want you to leave. Yomi, I've been waiting for you to say that for a long time now… You may not believe it, but I really was, so please don't go now that it has happened. I want you to stay with me." Her affectionate hand turned Yomi's head around so that they could face each other and for the first time in a long time, she had something to really smile for.

"You really… mean it?" She looked at her friend's sincere eyes as she nodded, but then she slightly frowned, "then, why did you make fun of me so much?"

Tomo laughed and closed her eyes, "Isn't it obvious?" her remark was met by a sullen glare from Yomi. She chortled and shook her head, "Err, I guess it wasn't then. I used it as kind of… a way to be with you, as odd as it may sound. I think it was my way of always being able to be with you. I really do like you, you know, ever since we met back in grade school."

She smiled, and Yomi turned her body around to return the hug from the front. "Thank you Tomo… for everything." They stood there in the comfort of each other's arms, not caring about the curious stares they were getting from random people who were lounging around in the park.

Sakaki saw the pair and smiled and at the same time thought about what she could do to make the possible relationship between her and Chiyo-chan.

The whole group set down a red blanket at the base of a tree, and then they began to eat and talk about different things. Kagura was laughing at Osaka as she watched her ditsy friend attempt to split her chopsticks evenly.

"GrrrrrrrRAAAAAAH!!!" her lips pursed as she stared in concentration and then actually split them apart cleanly. She smiled in triumph as she held them for all to see. "AHAHAHAHAHA! I have done it!" she exclaimed.

Everyone looked at her, grinned, and then looked inside of the basket to see what treats they had packed for this fine day. Yomi and Tomo strolled over, and an outrageously large smile was mounted on her face. She reached inside and pulled out a red bean taiyaki, with only one calerie, and then she tossed it to Yomi.

She pulled out another one for herself, and then the two walked over to go sit on a bench near a small pond. Sakaki smiled, and then looked at Chiyo-chan. Her little friend was cheerfully unwrapping a sandwich, and she too decided to grabbed one from the basket.

Sakaki stood up and offered her hand to Chiyo-chan, asking if she would like to join her by a familiar tree. Her friend munched pensively on a bite of sandwhich before she accepted the invitation and they stood up, walking over to the designated tree in the distance.

As they were walking, the spot that she had chosen was specifically selected because it held a significant role in the event that led up to the loss of Chiyo-chan's memory.

'We were relaxing under that tree before Tomo and Yomi showed up, and then she ran off to get some taiyaki with Tomo. That happened right before that… horrible accident. The very same vile accident that has been haunting me for the past two or three months now; that… nightmare.' She shuddered and recalled the sight of Chiyo-chan's dead body lying all alone in the middle of the austere darkness.

Arriving at the tree, Sakaki watched her friend to see if she noticed anything, or any memories were coming back to her. They sat in silence, taking slow bites of their sandwich while just enjoying each other's presence. After sitting in peace for a long time, Sakaki began feeling a bit impatient, though she knew she shouldn't.

'Things like this shouldn't be rushed… right? I don't want to hurt her. This is my doing for feeling such stupid things. I must be more… tranquil.' She thought.

Suddenly, her friend dropped her sandwich to the ground, lettuce and round little red things falling to the ground. She seized her head and doubled over, her mouth emitting small little whimpering sounds. Her breathing came in ragged, labored wheezes.

"Aaaah…! Sakaki, my head is hurting! Aaraaah… make it stop…!" Her eyes widened in shock and realization as short fragments of her memory came flooding back to her.

All her tall friend could do was hold her as she cried out. "Shh, shh, it's okay, what's wrong Chiyo-chan? Did you remember something important? What happened?"

Letting her tears subside, she wiped her damp eyes with her arm and took a deep breath of air, "I… remembered the accident. I was walking with Tomo… we were talking about something; someone actually. It was important, but I can't remember it! Then… this car… it came speeding by. We had just gotten the taiyaki, and I wasn't paying attention because I took a bite… and then it hit me, and then chaos… obscurity…darkness."

They held each other for another few minutes, and then she stood up, with Sakaki's helping hand of course. She motioned for Chiyo-chan to follow her. They walked to the edge of the park, and she saw a black motorcycle glinting in the sun. She looked up at her friend, "You rode this over here?!"

Sakaki chuckled, and nodded, "I usually like to drive my white car…" she gazed thoughtfully at her friend, "…but I occasionally like to take my black shadow out for a ride, well, that's what I call it anyways; black shadow. A tad bit redundant for a name, black shadow, heh, since shadows are already normally black. Oh well, that's not the point."

She urged her to walk closer while picking up a helmet and placing it on her head. "Would you care to ride with me?" Her friend gasped, "What! But I don't have a helmet! That's illegal, isn't it?" Sakaki smiled and reached inside of a side pocket, pulling out another spare helmet.

She tossed it to her friend and ran off towards the area where their friends were having their picnic, "I'm going to tell them we're going off for a while and we probably won't be back. I'll see you soon."

Chiyo-chan watched her friend disappear into the distance as her figure made her way towards the small group under the tree. She sighed as she strapped the metallic gray helmet on.

'I can't seem to remember what it was that was so important to me! Something precious is still locked away in my mind, and I can't seem to figure out what it is, and I'm afraid that I might figure it out too late! It's like I have the key, but there's no door in sight, and time seems to be running against me, or something. Oh what could it be?'

She breathed a heavy sigh as her friend came running back with a shining black helmet on. 'My knight in shining armor…' giggled Chiyo-chan. Sakaki looked at her skeptically beneath the dark visor that covered the front of her head covering.

"What's so funny?" she shook her head and waited for her tall friend to mount the bike before stepping up herself. Sakaki smiled underneath her visor, "Hold on tightly." Chiyo-chan wrapped her petite arms around her friend's strong and secure waist as she pressed her body closer, resting her head on her back.

"I trust you with anything." A silent tear slipped down her face as the roar of the engine kicked up, howling to the sky as rubber burned and the cycle shot off onto the near deserted streets.

They shot through the roads like a graceful dragon weaving in and out of the clouds. They were speeding past the blurred surroundings, detached from reality, and as free as the limitless sky above them.

Chiyo-chan held on tightly, enjoying this new feeling, and the warmth that her friend radiated. 'Am I holding on so rigidly because I am frightened… or because this is so exhilarating?'

Her euphoria was short-lived as she felt the ride coming to an end. She reluctantly lifted her head off her friend's back to see what they were stopping at, and she noticed that the sky was a deep shade of red and orange.

"What happened?" Sakaki stopped and parked on a curb and took off her helmet, releasing her long flowing hair that was somehow pinned inside of it. Sweat was forming on her face as she grinned lazily.

"My body got a bit tired. I guess I was riding the bike too hard or something, but we were just kind of cruising around for a few hours. You seemed like you enjoyed it." Sakaki rested her hand on top of her friend's shoulder, and Chiyo-chan was glad that she had the itchy gray helmet on her head; a deep blush covered her face.

Desperate to somehow change the subject and mood, she looked around, "Where are we?" Sakaki turned around and pointed to a room, "This is my apartment complex, and I live other there. I'm inviting you in, and I won't take no for an answer."

Chiyo-chan nodded, took off her helmet, and walked up with her friend. Sakaki stopped suddenly, and her eyes darted to the far right. She stared intently and sadness overtook her eyes, but only for a second.

"What is it? Did you see something?" Her eyes stayed fixed in that direction for a moment longer, and then she continued walking, "No… there's nothing wrong. I just… saw something."

They trekked up the treacherous steps of her apartment complex and arrived at room _176_. Walking inside, Chiyo-chan noticed an overabundance of stuffed animals, and a nice warm futon in the middle of the room. There were a few opened tuna cans on the counter, and Maya was resting placidly next to them. They took off their shoes and entered the room.

Sakaki immediately walked to her closet and pulled out a small, nicely polished, brown little box with a lock on it. She picked it up with a grim look in her eyes and she shook her head while placing it on a stand near her futon.

"What is that Sakaki? It looks very important… I mean, it does seem to have a lock on it." Her friend laughed a melancholic harmony and looked at her small friend.

"You can only open it… when the time is right. I feel like it may be coming soon, but you can only open it when it does come. You'll know when the time is right… trust me… you'll know."

Chiyo-chan looked at the enigmatic box and decided against asking anything more about it. She sat down on a pile of stuffed toys, and looked out her window.

"Um… what did you invite me in for? You must have had something on your mind when you asked me, most people usually do."

Sakaki looked at her and a shade of red swept over her cheeks. "Um… I wanted to ask if you wished to go to Fantasy Land with me tomorrow," She looked distantly at her ceiling and her expression seemed almost unreadable, "something happened the last time. Or should I say, something _didn't_ happen, it really depends on how you see it. I think… that might be where we can find your last memory."

Chiyo-chan nodded, "If that's where you think I might be able to remember anything, then I will go with you, and…" she scooted closer to her friend and placed a small kiss on her cheek, resulting in an extremely embarrassed Sakaki, "…thank you for everything you have done. You are more than just a great friend, you're something else."

She hopped up and put her shoes on. "Bye." With no more than a giggle, she bounced out the front door and closed it behind her.

Poor Sakaki lay helpless to her bursting feelings as she felt her cheek, suddenly very soft from the touch of her heavenly lips.

"I… am very much looking forward to tomorrow."

**Author's Notes**

Eh, sorry for the kind of short chapter, I guess you could call it my transition chapter for the conclusion to this… well, kind of short story. I have to go back to school in less than three weeks, so I won't have as much time to write anymore, due to stupid advanced classes and their blasted homework and studying demands. Yeah, well, hope you're enjoying it so far.

Special thanks to Akitoko and Kamehameha for continuing to read this story and their comments! Comments keep writers writing, and that's the best thing! Yay! O.o I should go to sleep now.


	6. Chapter 6: Last Nightmare as the Footste...

Chapter 6: Last Nightmare As the Footsteps Fade

****

_Once again, she found herself in a familiar situation; she was running away from the incessant beat of the footsteps. The dark oblivion that surrounded her was spiraling out of control, and she couldn't stop it as the inevitability of her destruction was drawing near._

_ Her breaths came out in ragged gasps as she continued running. She was trying to escape the fear, the pain, and the torment, but it kept coming after her. Death was nagging at her senses as she suddenly fell into a deep chasm._

_ Smacking into something solid, she realized that she had collided with the ground, or, was it the sky? She looked beneath her to see the shining pale moon complemented by shimmering little stars. _

_ 'What?' Looking up above, she saw the road, and then she abruptly fell upwards. Reality twisted and distorted itself until her feet were firmly planted onto what she assumed was the ground, but she couldn't be quite sure. She walked down the dark street while staring at the sky, and for once in her whole life, she was grateful that it was still above her instead of below her._

_ A loud buzzing sound came zipping by, and she pressed up against a wall to avoid the speeding object. She only caught a glimpse of something flowing and black, and it seemed to resemble…_

_ 'Hair?' she thought. A loud explosion racked her thoughts as a blinding light erupted to her right. She turned and started sprinting towards the source, but then she began lifting off the ground._

_ Her shifty gaze began searching for an answer, any answer that might be able to explain why she began falling upwards again. Her back hit the sky as she looked down at the small city, and then the image flipped itself around, and she was soon lying down on the clouds looking up at the road._

_ 'Everything is so… weird. What is gong on?' she stood up to get a good look at her surroundings. The images of the night sky and the city began to fade as shadowy darkness took over with nothing in view except for a small little figure that was crumpled on the ground._

_ She cocked her head in curiosity and began to tentatively walk towards the fallen thing and as she got closer, her insides began to churn as it took the shape of someone familiar._

_ Standing over the body of the dead person, she let out a gasp of terror as she realized that she was looking at herself._

_ "I'm… dead?"_

"AH!" Sakaki's head bolted upright as she wiped her face of the sweat that was dripping down her face.She cursed and dropped her head back down onto her moist pillow.

"Again, that stupid nightmare! It's always coming back to haunt me, no matter what I do! Except this time… it was different…"

She lay there thinking about the oddities that occurred in the dream. 'That person was falling all different ways… down to the ground, up to the sky, it was if she were confused.'

She scowled and groaned in frustration, "Who was that person!? They saw their own dead body lying there! Who was it? And what was that speeding thing with the black? None of this makes sense! For all I know, that could have been Chiyo-chan!"

She thought more about it, and began to wonder more, "Or… it could have been me." Not liking that idea one bit, she shook her head in an attempt to rid it from her head.

Looking at the clock, she let out a sigh as she pondered on whether she should just get up and prepare for work or if she should try and sneak in a little more sleep, '5am, it's just about time to get up… I might as well just get ready.'

Hauling herself out of her warm and comfortable futon, she rubbed her eyes sleepily and almost tripped over Maya. He meowed irritably, and purred, which meant that he wanted some food.

Sakaki smiled and looked around in the cupboard for any more tuna cans. "I am sorry for that… I guess I'm a little dazed and disoriented. I hope tuna can help make up for it though."

She pulled out a metallic silvery can and placed in front of her cat after opening the top. She scratched behind his ears and grabbed her coat.

"No food for me today. I'm going out to work now, so be good while I'm gone, okay my little warrior?" he looked up from his food and nodded his head like he understood what she said. He stuck his head ferociously back inside of the can and little bits of tuna began to fly out like shrapnel from a grenade's explosion.

Walking out the door, Sakaki stretched her arms out widely and breathed in the scent of fresh air. 'Today… perhaps I can jog Chiyo-chan's memory at Magical Land. I just hope this works. I'll go pick her up after I'm done at the veterinarian's office.'

She reached the bottom of the stairs and walked over to the parking lot area and spotted her white car. Walking over to the gleaming white vehicle, she spotted her black shadow. 'Hm…' she smiled and an idea formed in her head.

The hum of the engine grew louder as she lifted her foot off the ground causing the dark vehicle to start moving, and the dust kicked up as it sped off into the streets. Through the tint of her dark visor, she spotted an injured animal up ahead. 'What is it?' she thought as she slowed down to a stop next to it.

Looking down at the wounded creature, she realized that it was a small black cat. She scooped the hurt animal into her arms and mounted her motorcycle with thoughts of healing the creature in her mind. 'Poor thing, it must be in so much pain. Some person must have hit it while driving and they didn't stop to look at it. Such heartless people in this world…'

She sped off to the veterinarian's clinic with the dark cat nestled safely in front of her.

Sakaki pulled up to the building and turned off the ignition while putting down the kickstand to let the motorcycle lean on it. She walked into the cold room and shivered at the sound of the lonely bell. She looked at the thermostat and then decided to turn on some lights instead.

Mr. Hiyemoto came walking out of the back office and was surprised to see Sakaki so early, and with a jet-black cat in her arms too. "Oh, what's wrong with that poor cat Miss Sakaki? Is it yours?"

She shook her head and started to make her way to the examination room, "I found this cat on my way over here. He's not mine, but I think he got injured due to a careless person striking him with their car. I'm going to see if I can do anything to help with his condition."

Mr. Hiyemoto smiled and watched as his young assistant walked inside of the door labeled examination room. 'She's such a caring girl…' then he placed his hand up and stroked his chin and chuckled as he thought of Sakaki's small friend, '…she's one lucky little girl.'

He stuck his hands into the pockets of his coat and walked back into the back office humming to himself.

Meanwhile, Sakaki was busy taking x-rays of the black cat and analyzing his body to see if she could find any serious abrasions or gashes in the skin. After studying the x-ray results and his skin, she found that the only possible hazardous thing was a slight fracture to his right forepaw and some cuts and bruises.

She cleaned up the small incisions and brushed his fur until it was nicely groomed and shiny. Smiling at the young cat, she saw his body stir and saw him begin to open up his eyes. She found herself staring at the most beautifully clear blue eyes that she had ever seen in her life, but then found it odd that it had such blue eyes for being such a black cat.

Scratching behind his ears, she found herself talking to him, "Wow, you have such light eyes! I expected you to have more of an onyx shade, but those blue little orbs seem like they're so sad. What is it you need little guy?"

He meowed and looked at her with those poignant azure eyes causing Sakaki to avert her gaze in search of some cat treats. Mr. Hiyemoto opened the door with a can of fresh food and set it down along with a small bowl of milk for the cat to enjoy. He looked up and smiled.

"This is such a spectacular cat, and I'm very glad that you went out of your way to help this dazzling little guy. He's a fighter… just like you." He looked at Sakaki and noticed that she wasn't particularly listening to him that closely.

"You seem very distracted, like in deep thought, but you also seem very excited. Is something going on today with you, and by any chance, does it involve your little friend?"

Sakaki snapped out of her little dream like state and blushed after what she thought he was implying. Nodding slowly, she responded, "Well, I was… kind of planning something with her tonight. I'm trying to help her get her memory back, and I thought that if we went to some place unforgettable, then she might remember something."

He studied her body language and smirked, "Haha, you have something in mind besides that I bet. If I may be allowed to make such a personal assumption, I would say that you care for your friend more than you want to let on. Am I right?"

She looked at him with such obvious surprise in her expression, that she didn't even try to hide it. Her mouth hung agape as Mr. Hiyemoto started cracking up.

"I caught you off guard, I apologize, but you must know that you can't do anything irrationally because of your feelings for her. Like you said, she still has amnesia, and doing anything due to urges that you have might end up hurting her. The mind is a fragile thing, Sakaki, so I don't want you to do anything… stupid."

He looked at her seriously, "You're like a daughter to me, and I don't want you hurting your friend, or getting your own heart broken. Just be careful tonight," his gaze faltered and he grinned, "oh yeah, you're not going to get pregnant, so I don't think using protection is necessary for two girls, right?" He coughed on that last comment and Sakaki nearly choked.

Walking away, apparently satisfied with his joke, he went back inside of his office smiling dreamily, "Ah… young dysfunctional love, I remember my first crush like it was yesterday."

His young assistant was just standing stock still in the examination room, unable to move due to his statement, and she decided to finally haul her speechless body over to the front reception desk to sit down. She couldn't believe that Mr. Hiyemoto, her boss, would make a joke like that.

After thinking more about it, a small giggle escaped her lips. "Chiyo-chan… wow, I can't believe he said that, and about us too! That was completely unexpected." She sighed.

Sakaki sat there in the rolling chair, organizing files and blankly looking at the computer screen, checking over the appointments absentmindedly. The day went by slowly, since there were practically no customers, and so the only thing that entertained her the whole day was the recovering little black cat with the downcast eyes.

She tried tying a ball to a string and letting the cat chase it, but it wouldn't budge from the tabletop. He seemed distant, not only in his actions, but in his clear blue eyes. She let her head lay on the desk as she looked up at the clock hanging on the wall. '3pm… so long from… now… I…' she drifted off into a deep sleep.

Mr. Hiyemoto watched her in her peaceful slumber, but then noticed with concern in his eyes as she began to shake while mumbling something incoherently.

"No…Chiyo-chan…" she gasped out. He walked closer and took a sip of his coffee before setting it down on the table. He looked at her carefully and saw that she was breathing in short periods, and sweat was starting to form on her brow.

"You really care for that girl. She must be lucky to have one such as you to love. Hmm…" He studied her face a second longer before strolling over to the clock in the corner. He pulled up a chair and stood on it to reach the clock, and after he was able to take it off the wall, he adjusted it so the time said 5pm, whistling all the while.

Then he walked over to Sakaki's feverishly sleeping form and shook her shoulder gently.

"No…Chiyo-chan… no… no!" her eyes popped open and she looked up and saw Mr. Hiyemoto's form looming above her as she blinked her eyes a few times.

"Oh! I'm so sorry; I did not mean to fall asleep! I guess that not being able to rest these past few months have started to catch up to my fatigued body. Is there something you need?"

He nodded and looked at the clock, "You know, it's five pm, I think that I'm going to let you off early today. I want you to have a lot of fun with your girlfriend, and try not to get in any trouble. In return though, I wish for you to be here, in a respectable manner, tomorrow, 6am in the… ah, what the heck," he smiled, "noon tomorrow. I want you to get some rest, though I must say, I am skeptical if you will get any with your friend in your presence."

Sakaki blushed, "Agh! Mr. Hiyemoto! Why do you…" she sighed and shook her head, deeming the whole complaint useless, "… oh well, never mind. Thank you for your concern, and your generosity. I will be here tomorrow, noon sharp." She bowed her head low and walked out the door while waving at the same time.

She walked over to her motorcycle and put on the helmet. Flipping open the leather pouch on the side, she acknowledged the gunmetal gray helmet, and swung her leg over to sit firmly on the bike.

Glancing into the window one last time, she saw the black cat's portentous blue eyes, and then started up the engine.

Mr. Hiyemoto watched her zoom off into the distance and he looked at the clock. "Hah… how funny it is that I can mislead her with a simple clock. Ah, well, I'd better adjust it now." He took down the clock and walked back to his office after fixing the hands.

The cat meowed as a shorthaired girl soon came into view, clutching her heart, "Oh Sakaki… you hurt me so much, but I still love you." Tears began to seep from her wet eyes, and she kneeled to the ground as the cry of the footsteps came closer.

Sakaki rode off into the bright day as she sped down an empty rode. She took a right, then she took a left, and after riding through a few different pathways, she came upon the huge Mihama estate.

She turned off the engine as it came to a crawling stop. She stepped off and took off her warm helmet, setting it down on the seat. Walking up to the large and imposing gate, she pressed the button to talk to see if Chiyo-chan was there.

Her friend's voice came up, and the gate opened slowly. Sakaki walked around and went inside, once again admiring the beautiful and lush front yard with the numerous trees and grass growing everywhere. Finally arriving at the front door, she was about to ring the doorbell until her friend appeared in the doorway.

"Hi Sakaki! I'm almost startled to see you here, what is it that you need?" She looked up at her and smiled. Pulling her smaller friend into a surprising but welcome embrace, she hid her blush with her long black hair and began to talk, "I missed you. Did you forget that I'm taking you to Magical Land tonight? We're going to have a lot of fun together, and it'll be a night…that you will remember."

Chiyo-chan nodded into the hug and then took a deep breath, savoring the moment as long as she could. She felt Sakaki's hand searching for hers, and after a quick second, they interlaced fingers. Hand in hand they walked out the door, staying relatively close to one another, and upon reaching the motorcycle, Sakaki tossed her the spare helmet.

They both put their headgear on and hopped onto the seat, with Chiyo-chan wrapping her arms tightly around Sakaki's waist. She laughed and snuggled closer, 'This is such a nice feeling, I wish I could stay like this forever…' she thought.

Feeling the wind start to increase, she realized that they were moving, and they sped off into the direction of the amusement park.

Little did they know, a mechanics manual slipped out of someone's hand barely a mile away, as they had memorized a certain section. The person started walking towards Magical Land, laughing on the inside, "Hmph… I know enough about what I need to do in order to get the job done."

Unable to contain her laughter, a chuckle escaped her lips as she continued walking down the streets, totally oblivious to the odd stares that the random walkers gave her. "She's a crazy one all right." Whispered one.

Sakaki and Chiyo-chan arrived at the theme park all too soon, as Chiyo reluctantly pulled her arms away from her snug position. The two pulled off their helmets and set them down on the leaning motorcycle as some passing guys let out a whistle.

Sakaki shot a glare in their direction, and the frightened men quickly scampered away. Chiyo-chan laughed and the two walked up to the front gate, and after quickly purchasing two tickets, they entered the beautiful amusement park.

The man in the kitty suit was dancing around at the entrance, beckoning people to come inside and to just let loose. "This is a fun place, so let your dreams run wild!"

Sakaki looked at the dancing man suspiciously because he reminded her of the time when she took a picture with Mr. Kimura, who just happened to be hiding inside of the cat suit.

Chiyo-chan started laughing, practically sensing the discomfort that shrouded her friend's mind as she also remembered that she was the one who took the picture of the girl and the masquerading teacher.

She squeezed her hand and started running towards the roller coasters. "Come on! They give you such a rush that you get really pumped. Those are always the best things to ride in this park!"

Sakaki smiled to herself, 'You say those are the best rides? Well, I have the perfect plan, and it does not involve any roller coaster of any kind.'

They arrived at the base of the monstrosity, and they both looked up at the skyscraper of a coaster. Noting all the screams and the gigantic screeching of metal and steel as the carts sped around the turns, Sakaki gulped.

"Is it… safe?" she whispered. Chiyo-chan started dragging her to the entrance, which oddly enough had barely anyone waiting in line to ride it, "I don't know, but as long as I'm with you, everything is suddenly made safe." She laughed at the reaction of her friend as she saw the slight blush forming across her cheeks.

As they were waiting in line for their turn to ride the death-on-wheels ride, Sakaki felt her hands grow numb and her face begin to tingle. Chiyo-chan was sweetly humming to herself, and she was still holding hands with her.

'Is she flirting with me?' she thought a little bit more about it and started wondering if the amnesia had gone away already. 'I doubt it went away; I didn't do anything significant to jar her memory! Maybe she's starting to like me again… or am I just being delusional?'

"Sakaki Sakaki hey Sakaki! We're going on now!" squealed an excited Chiyo-chan. They both climbed into the harnesses and let the ride attendants strap them in securely, well as securely as you can call two parallel seat belts and a small cushioned restraint in front of the waist.

"Ready and… dispatch." The announcer said as the coaster dropped half an inch. Sakaki stared at the lights on the right, noticing that it was a counter. Three yellow lights, and then a green one, and it was on the second yellow light.

"Keep your head back." Was the only advice that Chiyo-chan gave before the light hit green and the ride shot off like a bullet. In less than two seconds, they had already reached speeds of up to eighty miles per hour, as they soared to the top of the first drop. Suspense gripped Sakaki in the throat as she saw the plunge that was below them, and a giggle escaped Chiyo's mouth.

"Hope you like excitement." The ride came to almost a fast semi-crawl as it was at the edge of the descent. Sakaki swallowed hard as her hand sought out Chiyo-chan's hand and grasped it. "I… don't want to die yet." She half-joked, half-meant it.

She quickly felt her heart jump right into her throat, as her body felt like it was floating, and dropping, all at the same time. A sudden rush shot through her body as her brain registered the natural euphoria that flowed through her.

After a quick three minutes, the couple staggered off the ride, laughing uncontrollably as they spotted their photos onscreen. Even through the head rush, Sakaki noticed the picture, and immediately blushed.

The camera seemed to pick a great time to snap the photo, because it was at that instant, that the two girls were looking their happiest, but they were gazing directly into each other's eyes, laughing, and holding hands.

So she grasped Chiyo-chan's hand and guided her away in the direction of the ferris wheel. Glancing at her watch, she looked up at the painted ceiling of the dome. 'Almost time…' she thought.

"Come on! Lets go get some food; I remember that the somen was particularly good here. We can ride the ferris wheel after we are done. How does that sounds?"

Chiyo-chan smiled shyly and clung to Sakaki's arm closely, "That sounds great… lead the way Saki-chan."

Her taller friend looked away in embarrassment and felt the blood rush to her head. 'Had she just used a pet nickname for her? Saki-chan?! Now that was something different, I've never heard her use it before.' She thought.

They walked over to the noodle stand, either not noticing, or not caring about the looks and shifty glances that the other guests were giving them. After waiting in line for about twelve minutes, they arrived at the front and looked at the lady who was behind the counter.

She had a bandana on her head, and in a rough, raspy voice, she said, "Hey kids, what would ya like?" They looked up at the lit up board hanging from the ceiling, and decided to get a bowl of somen to share between them. The lady grinned and ordered up a big bowl and handed them two pairs of chopsticks.

Setting the big bowl down on a table, the two girls sat opposite each other and began to eat. "Itadakimasu!"

The noodles began to quickly vanish, as their appetites were satiated, until only a few long ones were left. They both had an end in their mouth and they realized that they had gotten the same noodle.

Sakaki blushed and bit down, watching as her end of the noodle plopped back down into the bowl. She half chuckled, "Eh… sorry about that. Well, I'm done, may I throw this away for you?" she offered as she stood up already taking the bowl towards the trash bin.

After throwing away the empty bowl, the two started making their way towards the lit up ferris wheel. They arrived at the gate to enter the separate carts, and Chiyo-chan looked all around at the awesome glowing spectacle.

"It's so magnificent! C'mon, let's get going!" they both ran past the gate and over to the loading area. The operating man looked at them and sighed, shaking his head lowly. "Rowdy teens…" he muttered as he pulled on a lever causing the carts to slow down to a halt.

They loaded inside of a sky blue colored one, and they closed the door. Sakaki sat down on the seat that was stationed on one side of the cart as Chiyo-chan looked below them.

"This must be some new material! We're still able to see out of them as if we were inside of a window, but when we were on the outside, we couldn't see in! A one way metal of some sort, amazing…"

After inspecting the new wonder, she stood back up and joined Sakaki on the cushiony seat, snuggling close. She leaned her head on her, and relaxed as Sakaki's arm came to rest on her own shoulder, pulling them closer to each other.

Heart pounding and mind racing, Sakaki struggled to keep her emotions and urges intact as she felt her friend lean in closer, now resting her head on her chest.

"This feels so familiar some how…and… and I don't know why! Did something happen here?" Chiyo-chan sighed.

"Well, in a way, no, nothing happened here, but if you look at it differently, you could say something did. I know it doesn't make sense, but I don't think things like this were meant to be understood." Replied Sakaki as she was looking at the ceiling.

'Right about…now.' She thought. Sure enough, the dome that was covering the whole stadium began to part as it opened up. It was wide enough for all the stars to been seen, and the moon shone brightly in the center. She smiled as she saw Chiyo-chan's face light up.

"It's so impressive! I didn't know that the top does that, did you?" Sakaki smiled and nodded. She knew perfectly well what was going to happen, and that was why she planned to get on the ferris wheel at that exact moment. Reluctantly, she pulled away from her radiant friend to face her. She also knew that the fireworks were going to go off in about five minutes, so she only had that much time to do what she had planned.

"Chiyo-chan… I have to tell you something, something that I couldn't tell you before you lost your memory." Her friend looked up into her eyes and nodded slightly, signaling for her to go on. Sakaki's confidence seemed like it was leaving her body ever so slowly.

"I… um… wanted to tell you that… I… I…" she trailed off. What if she had made a mistake? What if all of the little actions that she thought were hints, were nothing more than gestures of friendship? What if-

"Sakaki…" murmured Chiyo-chan. She was only a few inches away, and they were closing the gap between them. They gazed into each other's faces, and it was then that Sakaki shrugged off any doubt. She could see that within her smaller friend's eyes, the spark that was there before had returned, and that she was right about her assumption.

"…I remember what I wanted to say to you the last time we came…" Chiyo-chan said quietly, "…I love you." And with that, she brought her lips up to meet Sakaki's.

Explosions of light erupted all around them as the fireworks were set off, but this time around, it didn't surprise them. All they needed was each other, and that was exactly what they both had.

Chiyo-chan pulled back an inch to take a deep breath, "I… remember everything. It has all come back to me, including my love for you." She smiled and pressed her lips against Sakaki's once more. Closing their eyes, they embraced this new feeling of affection and they savored every moment.

Her head was spinning; unable to register what was happening, and all she could think about was how soft Chiyo-chan's lips were. They were enjoying every moment until they heard a loud cough from somewhere. They opened their eyes and saw that the ride had come to a stop, and the man in charge of the ferris wheel was staring intently at them.

They both turned a crimson red as they stepped off the cart slowly. The man was eyeing them suspiciously, and he shook his head. Chiyo-chan grabbed Sakaki's hand, stuck out her tongue, and ran off. In complete shock at the young girl's actions, the man stood there staring at them as they ran out of Magical Land.

Both girls were breathing hard from laughing, and from running. They started walking nowhere in particular, and Chiyo-chan sighed happily, "This has been such a wonderful night. What do you want to do next, since it's still kind of early."

Sakaki looked at her and then started off in the direction of the parking lot. "Well, there's a nice little diner not too far from here that I know of. It has the best pie, would you care to join me?"

So hand in hand, they walked in the dark night with the crisp chill of the light breeze blowing at their backs. Sakaki spotted her motorcycle and ran over to where it was parked. She turned around and noticed that Chiyo-chan was shivering, most likely the nippiness of the wind.

"Come on, the diner also has a heater in it." She chuckled as she looked inside of the side pack for the spare helmet. She frowned, "That's odd… I could have sworn that I had the spare helmet in here for you. Oh well…" she strapped on her usual black helmet and sat on the bike.

"It's okay, we can ride just this once like this. Like I said, the diner isn't that far away; nothing's going to happen."

Chiyo-chan looked up at Sakaki and nodded, carefully getting on the bike behind her guardian. She hugged her tightly, not daring to let go, "I have faith in you… as long as you're here with me I don't think anything can get me. Lets ride."

With that, the bike buzzed to life and shot out of the parking lot. They began picking up speed down a dark deserted road, totally unaware of the person standing in the shadows like a phantom. The ambiguous figure dropped a couple of wires and a helmet, grinning at the ground.

'I may have lost it, but I never had it to begin with. Without Sakaki… do I really have anything to live for?' she thought as a tear slipped down her pale cheeks. 'I love you so much that it hurts, and yet I must watch as you give your heart to someone else… but then… she makes you so happy. Have I done the wrong thing…?'

Reflecting about her actions, she slipped back into the darkest depths of nothingness as she seemingly disappeared. The distant footsteps had come closer into light, shone for what they really were.

Sakaki and Chiyo-chan were driving down the dark road, almost near famed diner that served pie. She looked up at the clouded sky and tried to remember if it was a right or left that she should take at the next intersection. 'Right I believe…' she thought to herself.

Buildings were flying by at enormous speeds as the bike continued to race down the road. Sweat was building on the side of Sakaki's face as she was trying to think of an idea. She scratched at her head.

"Chiyo-chan, can you take off my helmet? This thing is making my head itch and I can't scratch it with it on my head." Her small friend complied and reached up to take the dark helmet off. She put the helmet on her own head, and after a little bit of trouble stuffing her innocent pigtails inside of it, she smiled.

"I put it on my head, perhaps now you can scratch! Haha." She laughed. Sakaki's face was set grimly, and she reached up to rub her head.

"Thanks…" Chiyo-chan looked up through the dim visor of the helmet and cocked her head, "Yeah… you're very welcome. Is something wrong? You seem out of it, a little distant too." Sakaki shook her head and chuckled unconvincingly.

"Well, yeah… everything's alright. Tell me again, how you got your memory back. I'd really like to know what it was that triggered it." She let her long black hair flow behind her as her friend began to talk, blissfully unaware of the danger that they were in. 'This… I know what it was. It's too late now… nothing I can do.'

Her mind put together fragmented pieces of sentences, as she could not bear to think about their future. She just listened to the soothing voice of her best friend and lover, and decided that this was all that she could.

"I… remembered it all when we were in the ferris wheel. That's where we almost kissed the first time, but the fireworks had stopped us. I think it also came back to me because we used that same sky blue cart to ride in. It was suddenly all so clear to me; it was like the final piece of the puzzle snapped into my brain. It was…"

She stopped talking as she felt little drops of water splashing into her face. 'Is it raining?' she thought to herself. Looking up at the sky, she started to worry, 'There's no rain at all, not many rain carrying clouds either. Is it…'

Letting one of the drops fall in her mouth, she realized what they were, 'Tears are salty… but why is she crying?'

"Sakaki…?" she asked quietly. Something was wrong; she could feel it. The motorcycle zipped by, making a loud buzz as it whirred past a watching person who pressed up against the side of the wall to avoid the speeding vehicle.

All her best friend could do was turn around, tears filling her sorrowful eyes. Chiyo-chan could only make out a few last words before they collided into a solid wall causing a fearful blast to sear through the cold night sky.

"I love you."

=============================================================

Her eyes opened slowly as hot waves of intense pain shot through her aching body. A warm liquid was dribbling down her face as her body felt numb and detached. Strong arms were lifting her up into a sitting position.

"Sa…Sakaki…?" she uttered. Her vision spun wildly out of focus, until she was finally able to make out the shape of a fireman.

"Miss, you're going to be okay, so just hang in there, alright? Just stay still and we'll get you out of here." he smiled reassuringly, but all she could think about was her missing friend. Disregarding his advice, she sprang up, despite her throbbing body, and clenched her teeth.

"Sakaki! Sakaki!!! Where are you?!" she screamed. As her vision started to stabilize, she looked around in horror at the scene that was shown before her eyes.

The motorcycle that she had been riding was lying in a burning heap twenty feet away from the wall. Little bits of flaming metal were scattered all about the ground, giving the impression that the floor was on fire. There was a humongous crack in the wall, with black ash haphazardly stuck around it.

She glanced at her own arms and noticed the absence of a left sleeve, and an abundance of numerous sized cuts and slashes riddling her body like a tattoo. Blood was stained on her clothes and bruises were forming on her legs.

Frantically scanning the scene, she spotted a little huddle of medics and fireman who were looking over a fallen body. Despite the growing dread that was nestled in the pit of her stomach, she walked over slowly, looking at the ground.

Bits of blazing metal were starting to cool off and just smolder, and then a dark crimson streak caught her eye. It was a long red smear that looked like something was dragged on the ground, but there were the occasional clear spots, suggesting that the object was skidding across as well.

The red line led straight to the huddle, and Chiyo-chan knew exactly what, or should she say, who, was under that pile. As she came closer, her fears were confirmed as she spotted long black hair with clumps of drying blood in them.

"No…!" she hissed. Suddenly afraid, she sprinted over to the medics and pushed away a fireman to get to her best friend. "Sakaki!" she cried out. She leaned down and hugged her bloodstained friend closely, letting the tears of pain flow out.

The medics looked at the fallen girl and shook their heads, signaling that she wasn't going to last much longer. One fireman looked at the two girls and sighed dismally; he could tell how deep their friendship was, and he gestured for everyone to back away and let them be alone.

Sakaki opened her left eye but her right eye barely lifted. Through her hurt, she half grinned, half gritted her teeth.

"Sorry… I couldn't get you the pie…" she joked, despite the situation and her condition. Chiyo-chan glared at her, "This is no time to make witty remarks! You're hurt, and we have to get the doctors help you, and we must hurry!" she exclaimed.

Putting her arms firmly around her friend, she attempted to move her, which only resulted in Sakaki gasping in pain. She shook her head slowly.

"No… I wasn't meant to live, but I made it so that you were… I wish things could have worked out better than they had, but it can't be helped. I just wanted to say that… no matter what, I will always love you, even if I'm not with you physically." She pressed her hand to Chiyo-chan's heart.

"I will always be with you in your heart, as long as you never forget me. Oh yes… and when the person who caused this comes by, don't be angry." Sadness took over her expression as she relaxed. "Anger never solves anything, no matter what the problem is. It only causes more pain… and I don't want that. No more pain, no more suffering…"

Chiyo-chan nodded as silent tears of grief filled her eyes, "Sakaki… I… I'll miss you…" she said softly. She leaned in closely and placed one last kiss on her friend's lips.

Sakaki smiled into the kiss and closed her eyes.

"I… love you Chiyo-chan…" her despairing friend watched as her chest slowly stopped going up and down and the tears fell freely as she evanesced peacefully.

"I love you too Sakaki… I always will…" her heart sunk lower into the void of sadness as choking sobs racked her body. Those horrid footsteps that had haunted Sakaki in her dreams came up behind Chiyo-chan, pausing only momentarily as they viewed the repentant scene.

Disappearing into the past as nothing more than a memory, the footsteps turned into nothing more as Kaorin dropped to her knees next to Chiyo-chan. She sniffed and shut her eyes tight.

"I… I did not mean for this disaster to happen… it was my fault. My own doing has wrought destruction to my own heart… and yours. Chiyo-chan… I am so remorseful, that I don't know what to do with my wretched mind. I can't believe that I was the one who ended up being the evil that was the end of what I so dearly wanted. There's no possible way for you to forgive me… is there…?"

She waited for a slap, a punch, yelling, anything! When nothing hit her for her unforgivable actions, she dared looked up at Chiyo-chan, who had stopped crying and was on her feet. No loathing, no hatred, not even anger was in her eyes; only a passionate torment and fervent sorrow shrouded her hazy gaze.

"I don't hate you, that's not what Sakaki had wanted. I can only say… I hope you learned from this despicable lesson. You've cost yours and my love, and by playing these foolish games, you've taken away the one thing that meant happiness in my life. I love Sakaki, and she returned those feelings, and for a second, I thought that our life could have worked out together; you shattered those dreams. You're going to have to find another special person out there, and I hope you're happy with yourself."

She turned around and started walking in the direction of the ambulance. Kaorin watched her go away as she stared at Sakaki's body. Standing up, she bowed and paid her respects towards her lost friend and unrequited love.

"I only now understand what the true meaning of love is. I cannot replace what I have so selfishly taken away, and now, I will have to live with this for the rest of my life. If you somehow find it in your departed kind soul to exonerate me, I cannot accept it. This is all my doing, and now I know what I have done. Only seeing you here was the one thing that was able to shake me from my idiotic trance."

She began walking away as the footsteps diminished with her into the dawning light of the morning. Ever so slowly, they dissipated until they were nothing but a memory; a memory of something horribly devastating, but also of a chasing nightmare that would not stop.

But now, she was finally able to rest as the footsteps faded forever.


	7. Epilogue: Alpha and Omega

Epilogue: Alpha and Omega 

****

The brownish leaves crackled under her feet as she walked through the empty cemetery. Her long, waist-length brown hair swayed in the wind, as she let it flow freely. The grass was still very green, which was in contrast to the auburn-colored trees that groaned in the breeze.

Stepping off the leaf-tattered path, she made her way past a few headstones and some water-filled pots to find herself at a familiar place. She crouched down low and let her hand rest on the engraving that said who was resting in the cold ground. Her fingers traced the lettering as old wounds were opened, and memories of her past came flooding back to her.

It had been five years since that incident… five years filled with lonely nights and plagued dreams. She longed for her best friend, but nothing could be done, it was all over.

"Saki-chan… how I miss you so…" her other hand pulled out a bouquet of freshly arranged flowers, and she put them down inside the pot next to the engraved headstone. She found a waterspout somewhere close by, and carefully filled up an empty bowl filled with the clear liquid. After pouring the contents into the flower-filled pot she stood up and bowed.

Her thoughts were filled with the visions of Sakaki's smile, her memory was filled with the touch and feel of how her kiss was, but her heart felt empty. She looked up at the cloudy gray sky and sighed.

"Are you looking down at me now… Sakaki?" thinking of her friend made her sad, and it almost brought horrible thoughts of that fateful day back. She remembered that her best friend had spared her life, and she didn't even tell her she was doing it.

'You told me to take off your helmet, and I put it on my own head… You did that to save me from the explosion… you knew the brakes were cut…you knew…' she thought. She was so busy reminiscing that she did not notice the crunching of leaves arriving closely.

Lowering her head back down, she saw everyone walking towards her.

Koyomi Mizuhara, also known as Yomi… she didn't change much. Large glasses still rested on the bridge of her nose. Her hair color had darkened to a dark oaken brown, and it fell just about three inches past her shoulders.

Tomo Takino, her vigorous energy was toned down over the few years, perhaps seeing Yomi had brought her down a bit. One could say she was late when it comes to maturity, but it was there, along with her adolescence. She grew her hair out since high school, and it was almost as long as Yomi's, but her girlfriend made her cut it.

Kasuga Ayumu, better known as Osaka thanks to Tomo's efforts. She had continued to stay spacey all throughout her life, but she managed to get a boyfriend who liked her, despite her mind wandering off. She too stayed relatively the same, with her hair smoothly down to her shoulders, and her empty eyes gazing off into space.

There was Kagura too. She landed a spot on the Olympic swimming team. After going through high school being a major MVP for the swimming club, some scouts had seen her potential in the state competition relay swim race and drafted her from there. The swimming required for her to keep her hair short in order to keep it inside of the swimming cap, but her lean body now had more tone to it. She too got a boyfriend, and even tied the knot with him two years ago.

Behind them all, another came shuffling by, staring at the ground and not wanting to look up; it was Kaori, better known as Kaorin due to the 'n' diminutive that got stuck on the end of her name. She had grown out her hair long in the past five years, in memory of Sakaki, and she had changed ever since the incident. She distanced herself from everyone, but she had eventually come to accept what she had done.

They all came, and each one had a bundle of flowers in their hands. One by one, they placed their flowers on the grave, and bowed respectfully to their lost friend. Kaorin came last.

She placed a heap of flowers on the ground, and bowed her head for a long time, most likely talking to herself or praying. After a few minutes, she stood up with tears in her eyes, and turned to face Chiyo-chan.

"I'm sorry for the unforgivable trouble that I have caused… no… sorry doesn't even come close to the regret that I feel. How do you go on like this? It feels as if my heart has been wrenched out, and I can't get it back. She's gone; she has been for so long! How do you bear the pain every day?"

Chiyo-chan looked at the gravesite with cloudy eyes and hid the emotions that were bubbling up inside. "I… don't know how I deal with the sorrow and pain that comes my way…but all I can do is hope that one day, I may come to join her peacefully, wherever she is."

Kaorin broke down and the tears began to flow out like a waterfall as the sad memories of her friend filled her mind. Chiyo-chan walked over and put a comforting arm around her, and sighed.

"Don't worry about all that has happened… it's just how destiny and fate treats us. Sometimes we cannot help it, and all that is done is done…" Kaorin opened her teary eyes and managed a weak smile.

"I… I guess you're right…" Tomo walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "She is right, there isn't much we can do now. Sakaki is gone, and no amount of hatred or love can bring her back, so there's no use in doing anything stupid. I know that-" Yomi nudged her, whispering something like, "Don't say that." Tomo frowned, "What did I say?" was her retort.

Chiyo-chan smiled at the two and decided that she should say something now or else Yomi would smack Tomo for doing, or saying, anything more.

"Everyone… Sakaki may be gone, but she isn't forgotten. Her death does not only mark the end of her life, but also the beginning of a new one. Her passing has marked a nascent opportunity for all of us, and we should try to make the best of our lives with what has been given to us. It's only once we've lived can we experience death."

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Author's Notes

Sorry for the really short epilogue, but my mind has kind of died on me. I'm no good at writing epilogues, and the ending wasn't as impactful as I would have liked it to be, but eh, I guess I tried, right? If you didn't now, Alpha and Omega signifies the beginning and end of something. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet.

Thank you for reading this story, and a special thanks to Akitoko and Kamehameha for their wonderful comments all throughout the writing of this story. It kept me going! And sane for that matter! Not that I was insane or anything…


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